


Healing Was a Bitch - An Emilio Side Story

by sam_bam16



Series: Dreaming in a Nightmare [4]
Category: Original Work, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, He was Joseph's bestie in Jersey, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Promise you'll love it, Side Story, Story about a Puerto Rican Bi teen, good stuffs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-29 23:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 95,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15084497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam_bam16/pseuds/sam_bam16
Summary: The trouble twins, the dynamic duo, bromilio and broseph. They were over. It was just Emilio now. No Joseph, no best friend, no amazing person that he was.Just Emilio and trying to find his place in life after it had been turned upside down.A year and a half after Joseph breaks from Jersey, Emilio’s still trying to cope with everything that he lost. But if he wants to keep his promise, he can’t wallow forever.In simple terms, a story about a bisexual kid trying to get his life back on track while meeting new people, making new friends, and running into some old ones. Can be read as a standalone although people/personalities and some past happenings may not make full sense unless you read His World was a Nightmare.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Hi and welcome! I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as I enjoy working with Emilio. He's definitely one of my favorite OC's to write.
> 
> It's not required but it'd definitely help you as the reader to read His World Was a Nightmare first. You'd understand characters/happenings much better. If you don't want to, dont worry about it, the story is still readable and if you have any questions about stuff, I'd be more than happy to answer!
> 
> The story timeline is just about equal with the current timeline in Nightmare in Henrietta chapter 56.
> 
> Timlineish: Beginning Sept 2011 - Junior Year of High School for Emilio  
> Emilio: 16  
> Raul: 41  
> Claudia: 43  
> Maria: 23  
> Alicia: 20  
> Linda: 18  
> Alondra: 8 (in a couple weeks)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> _"Walking with a semi must be a bitch, huh?”_

Pulling his hat lower down on his head, Emilio trudged through the congested hall of his high school, begging the school day just to be over already. Sadly, it was barely even lunch hour so he still had a few more hours to go. And because it was lunch hour, there were just too many damn people to push through making getting to the cafeteria one hell of an effort. Maybe he should have just eaten outside today. At least he would have avoided all these people. It didn’t help that he was so fucking short.

With a sigh, he kept his head down as he walked and shouldered through the throngs of students. Every two seconds he’d end up bumping into people’s sides as he passed but that was normal when it came to getting through these people. He wished he could say that he was bumping shoulders with them but everyone knew that saying that was a lie.

Emilio had never grown. Fuck his life. Five two and a fucking half sucked balls. Not to mention that most people liked a tall guy. For real though, who-

_Slam_

“Fuck,” he mumbled as he landed on his ass from slamming into someone. Maybe he shouldn’t have gotten lost in his thoughts while trying to navigate these stupid halls. The dude he had slammed into had to be built like a God fucking wall for the force of impact to literally knock Emilio over.

He wasn’t _that_ tiny.

“Shit, dude, sorry about that.”

Looking up, Emilio barely kept his mouth from dropping open. Dear Lord, this guy…

Gorgeous. Not to mention that that deep sexy voice was totally part of Emilio’s fantasies now. And Mr. Wall was tall, but then, when you were Emilio everyone was tall. But this guy wasn’t just tall with a sexy voice, he had these beautiful cheekbones and some gorgeous eyes and, Jesus, those lips were made for kissing. Devouring. And how could he not mention those muscles. The dude had to be an athlete.

Wow.

When he realized that he was literally just sitting on the floor still staring at one of the most gorgeous boys he had ever seen, Emilio cleared his throat and quickly emptied his mind. Adjusting his snapback, he got to his feet and straightened his clothes before saying “Nah, man, my bad.” When they stood and stared at each other for an awkward moment, Emilio mumbled “Sorry,” before slinking off in the direction of the cafeteria.

It didn’t matter how much he drooled over that guy, it’d be a complete waste of his pathetic time. There was no way he’d get that guy and, plus, what were the chances that Mr. Wall played for Emilio’s field? Pft, next to none probably. It wasn’t like Emilio could just go up to him and ask if he was in the rainbow crowd with him. And then there was the fact that the school wasn’t exactly tolerant of LGBTQ people.

Last year, a kid had gotten jumped because he was gay and spent two days in the hospital. The culprits of the assault were ‘never determined’ but Emilio had a feeling that it had to be some athlete or something because schools seemed to have a tendency to protect them for God knew what reason. So what if they could throw a ball or catch or all that other bullshit? Really, the whole intolerance thing was like God was trying to shove a pike in Emilio’s side for wanting him and Joseph to be a thing in school. Although, Emilio hadn’t asked for that, he just wanted them to be…close. Why had that been so wrong? Straight people got to get away with it all the time to the point that it was fucking annoying.

Luckily, being found out as bisexual wasn’t too much of a problem for Emilio. He had school friends but they weren’t close or anything so they didn’t actually know. Not to mention that a few months ago, Emilio had had a girlfriend so if anyone had had any doubts, he had ‘proven them wrong.’

No mind that he was bi and he liked both girls and guys but leave it to the ignorant people not to understand anything.

So what that he was a bit of a bitter soul now. He couldn’t help it. Almost a year and a half ago, he had lost the most important person to him. He was allowed to be fucking bitter about life now. Fucking Joseph. How hard would it have been to just…maybe leave a number, an email, fucking _something._ Or at least to call. Send a letter. Emilio would take anything to at least know how his friend was doing.

Just something. And maybe then the hole in his heart wouldn’t hurt so much. Maybe he’d be able to smile easier, be a little less bitter, or maybe he’d finally get the chance to heal. He had promised that he would try, and honestly he was, but it sure as fuck wasn’t easy. Getting some closure would probably help but Joseph didn’t seem to be in a helpful mood.

God, he hoped Joseph was okay wherever he was.

Sighing away his pain and pulling the Yankees cap lower down on his head, Emilio plopped himself on one of the benches in the cafeteria and pulled out his sandwich to enjoy before he had to haul his ass back through the stupid hall.

 

 

He pushed the same piece of chicken back and forth on his plate as he sat at their kitchen table, lost in his thoughts. Eating wasn’t as appealing as it used to be. Before, Emilio would eat seconds or even thirds if it was something he really loved. Now it was just firsts and sometimes, especially on days like these where Joseph plagued his thoughts, he could barely manage that.

In short, healing was a bitch.

When the front door opened, Emilio picked up his head and smiled to his father. He wasn’t exactly feeling the smile but how could someone _not smile_ for this man? Goddamn his father and his charming nature. “Hola, papi.”

His father smiled back but Emilio could immediately tell that he was onto him and his feelings. “Hola, mijo. By yourself today?”

“Yeah, Linda took Alondra and they went to her friend’s house. Just me,” he answered before he ate that sad piece of chicken. “Just me.”

Nodding as he walked over, his father kissed the top of his head before walking down the hall to his room, calling out “Can you heat my food for me?”

Getting to his feet and making the very short walk to the kitchen, Emilio answered “Sure thing, popster.” When his mother worked late shifts at the hospital, she’d make them plates of food and leave them in the fridge for them to heat up. They’d told her a million times that they could manage but she always insisted.

Because God was cruel, Emilio had to move the leftover cheesecake to the side to be able to reach his dad’s plate. Why not throw in more memories of Joseph? Never hurt no one except Emilio. With a sigh and a slam of the fridge door, Emilio shoved his father’s plate in the microwave and pushed a reasonable time to turn it on. As he waited, the shower turned off and Emilio couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh. How?

When his father came back to the kitchen and sat at the table as Emilio brought him his plate, Emilio asked “Papi? How in the world do you take showers that fast? I need like twenty minutes and that’s not including getting dressed.”

Laughing as he got up and grabbed a glass of water before sitting back down, his father snorted “Sometimes you need to move fast. It’s not my fault you’re slow in everything.”

“Lies,” Emilio replied as he dropped back down into his chair. “I’m a hell of a runner, thank you.”

Soccer and running were what Emilio loved and the only two sports he was good at. Soccer was soccer and how could you not love it and running just gave him this freeing feeling. He hadn’t done it much when Joseph was around but after it was the best way for Emilio to just breathe. The strain on his muscles and lungs was gratifying and clearing his mind of everything but putting one foot in front of the other was everything.

He loved it.

“So how was school?”

Immediately his mind went back to Mr. Wall and all his sexiness. “It was okay.”

“Just okay?”

Deciding to go with what he knew his dad was fishing for, Emilio finally whispered “Just…been thinking about Joseph is all.”

Taking a bite of food and swallowing, his father nodded. “Thought as much.”

Sighing as he stared down at his plate, Emilio pushed around the last piece of chicken. Might as well make itself useful. “Because it’s about the only thing that depresses me?”

With another nod and bite of food and then a sip of water, his father sighed “Emilio, I know you love him but as I’ve said a million times before, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. Every few weeks, you crash. That is it, papi, you need to move on. What happened to healing?”

He picked up his head and stared back at his father who had relaxed into his chair as he watched Emilio carefully. Rubbing his face and huffing, Emilio pointed out “I went out with Victoria.”

Victoria was sweet and Emilio had genuinely liked her. They both had math and English together and because they had always seemed to end up next to each other, they had gotten talking. And then eventually, talking became hanging out and Emilio had decided to try his shot at moving on.

His father pointed his fork at Emilio, ready to make a point with a pointy object in hand. “You and I both know that you only went out with Victoria just for the hell of it. I’d call her a rebound, no?”

It wasn’t a lie. While Emilio had seriously tried to move on from Joseph with Victoria, it just hadn’t worked. He liked her a lot but he knew for a fact that he could have never loved her. There just wasn’t that special feeling between them like it had been with Joseph.

Emilio needed that special feeling to love.

But he sometimes hated how well his father knew him. “I love him too much to just forget-”

“Mijo,” his dad interrupted with a shake of his head, “We aren’t repeating the same thing we have been saying for the past year and half. You love him, I know. Don’t forget him but you have to live, Emilio. Enough. You’re supposed to find happiness for both of you, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Emilio murmured as he turned back to staring down at his plate. “Yeah, I am.” It was such a heavy promise that Joseph had asked of him but Emilio knew that he had no choice. He could do that one thing for the love of his life. “I…I did see someone today.”

Literally, his dad’s voice lit up in joy. Emilio could hear it. “Oh? Tell me. Boy or girl?”

“Um, guy, but I don’t know who he is.” Emilio felt like he had seen him somewhere but he wasn’t too sure. The school was huge. If he had a name, maybe he had heard of him. The guy had looked like an athlete and at his high school, athletes were like God. Everyone knew them. “I may or may not have slammed into him in the hall today.”

With a laugh, his dad snorted “Well then the basic introduction is done! One point in your favor. Next step? Crash into him again but this time, get a name.”

Laughing as he felt some of his sadness receding, Emilio took a deep careful breath and let it out. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. He could be okay. “You think so? Best course of action?”

Face full of amusement with his eyes sparkling and his smile wide, his father replied “I think it’s a pretty solid move. At the very least, it’ll get you immediate conversation. What’s the worst that could happen?”

What was the worst? Maybe Emilio would really give Mr. Wall a decent shot. Although, he wasn’t sure if he’d actually go with the whole ‘slam again’ thing. But…maybe he really would try.

Come the next day and Emilio had decided to go for it. How bad could it go? Walking nervously through the halls of school, Emilio kept his eyes peeled for the guy. He was still on the fence about slamming into the dude but he’d decide once he saw him.

Not that that was going well though. It was already almost the end of lunch and Emilio hadn’t caught eye of him at all today. He was praying that the other boy would show before Emilio lost his nerve and decided to give up. By the end of sixth period though, Emilio had thrown his hope to the wolves. Maybe next week? He could try again. It was a Friday so maybe the guy was busy and hadn’t been able to come to school today?

Next week. Emilio could do it.

Finishing getting dressed back into his normal clothes from his P.E. ones – sixth period P.E. sucked when it was hot – Emilio enjoyed the silence of the locker room. His father was right – Emilio was slow as hell. But after a long day, he enjoyed taking his time finishing up in the empty quiet of the room.

Slipping on his white Yankees cap that he never went without, Emilio slammed his locker shut as the noise of people came to his surprise. Turning to look who was coming at the end of the school day, Emilio remembered that the football team had practice after school today. As he watched them walk in, lost in their conversations, Emilio’s heart skipped a beat when his eyes caught with the one he had been looking for all day.

Mr. Wall.

Emilio made sure to turn his attention back to his things so that way he didn’t stare all obvious like yesterday. That wouldn’t earn him any points. As he was shoving his gym clothes in his bag to take them home to get washed, Emilio was surprised when his hat was yanked off his head. Turning to see what was up, he was shocked when he came face to face with three players. Three smirking asshole players with the one in the middle holding his cap. The quarterback if he remembered right. No one else on the team had that ginger hair. Tanner…something, wasn’t he?

Whoever the fuck he was, it didn’t give him the right to take Emilio’s hat. “Give it back.”

Tanner smirked. “And what are you gonna do about it, runt? Never grew, did you?”

Every bone in his body screamed to hit this ass. Emilio had been lucky and had gone through his childhood without bullies. But come high school and being short and, sometimes, life was hell. “I said give it back,” he snapped, clenching his fist as Tanner and the other two guys flanking him smiled.

“Too bad, shorty,” Tanner laughed mockingly as he tossed the hat to one of the player behind Emilio, straight over his head. They tossed it back and forth a few times with Emilio unsuccessfully trying to get it. “Come on, little dude,” Tanner mocked, “You want your hat, then you gotta get it.”

“Oh, I’ll get it,” Emilio snarled, completely pissed and done with this bullshit. It didn’t help that the guy he had his newfound crush on was just standing there watching. His face was blank but still; just standing.

With an ugly smirk that grew wider as Emilio walked straight up in front of him, Tanner said “Watchya gonna do?”

Adorned with his own smirk, Emilio whispered devilishly “This,” before slamming his knee into Tanner’s dick. Tough guy wasn’t so tough anymore as he dropped down onto the floor in seconds, clutching himself and groaning.

Feeling incredibly satisfied with himself as he picked his cap up off the floor, Emilio dusted it off before putting it back where it rightfully belonged on his head. Damn, he felt really good right now.

Of course, that couldn’t last.

The other two guys who had been messing around with Tanner each grabbed Emilio by an arm and held him in place as Tanner dragged himself back up onto his feet. Too really piss him off, they took his hat once more.

And tossed it straight to Mr. Wall who caught it effortlessly.

_Fucking asshole._

Struggling to get out of their grip because he could easily imagine what was coming, Emilio cursed at them in both English and Spanish, his efforts entirely fruitless. Tanner glared at him nastily as he prepped a fist and seethed “You motherfucker.”

Emilio braced himself for the worst.

“Stop.”

They all turned to look over at Mr. Wall who had spoken with that gorgeous voice. With all the attention on him, he added “Just let him go; Coach will be here soon.”

“No way, Marcus,” Tanner snarled, “This just got hella personal.”

Nodding to the two holding Emilio, Marcus repeated “Let him go.”

They scrunched their noses in disproval but nonetheless, they let Emilio go. Straightening himself and his clothes after he was let free, Emilio walked over to Marcus who was probably expecting a thank you. Sadly, Emilio just really wasn’t in the mood for him and his sexiness or his jackass pity.

Taking his hat back and once more returning it to his head, Emilio smiled at Marcus who smiled back. It was a very nice smile. Emilio liked.

But Emilio sure as fuck wasn’t in the mood.

Readying a fist because his father had taught him well, Emilio slammed Marcus as hard as he could in the face. Someone needed to feel his anger and really, Marcus would do just fine. Him and his stupid fucking pity. Marcus held his face in pain with shock filling those big beautiful eyes. “I don’t want your pity,” Emilio snarled.

Marcus simply continued to stare in surprise, brown eyes as huge as sink holes. Very very large sinkholes. Sinkholes that swallowed entire houses.

Turning back to his locker, Emilio walked over, grabbed his stuff and stalked out, leaving the shocked locker room in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> I think I forgot to mention the schedule for this one so once a week on Fridays for updates  
> Enjoy!
> 
> _“I think we’ve got another fag we need to convert back to the straight road, gentlemen.”_

“Do you guys like it?” Maria asked as she excitedly showed her hand to everyone at the table, “Beautiful, right?” She was literally jittery in her happiness.

Honestly, Emilio did not approve.

“It’s beautiful!” Alicia practically squealed as she held their sister’s fingers to look closer. “It took him forever to buy a ring but so totally worth the wait.”

Emilio disagreed.

“It definitely is beautiful, mija,” his father said as he took his turn examining the engagement ring on Maria’s finger.

“What do you think, Emilio?” Maria asked, hope just on the inside of her tone. It still bothered her that he didn’t really like Jesus. But he couldn’t help it when the guy was just so…uh. The dude literally thought that he was God’s gift to the world. God’s gift to Maria. Jesus was so horribly conceited that more than once, Emilio was tempted to hit him for it.

And because of that utter dislike, he didn’t bother looking up from his phone as he shrugged and murmured “It’s nice.”

“You can’t exactly decide that without looking,” Linda said in a tone that meant she wanted to hit him. Kick him under the table probably. “Or you can at least make your lie believable so you won’t entirely be a jerk.”

With a huff, he picked his head up to look at her ring. Okay, so it _was_ pretty. Emilio was shocked that unemployed lazy ass Jesus had been able to pay for it. He hated how his sister wanted to marry a total loser and Emilio knew that his parents hated it too. His mother was just nicer about it than Emilio and his dad. “It’s pretty. How’d he pay for it?”

“Emilio,” his mother rebuked with a stern look.

Rolling his eyes, he turned his attention back to his phone as he looked up the school’s page for the football team. A last name was needed. Facebook searches generally went smoother that way. Finding the page that he was looking for, Emilio looked at the team’s photo, his eyes easily finding Marcus.

Turned out that he did know him now that he knew the name. Well, he didn’t really _know_ him but he did know of him. Marcus and his girlfriend had been ‘thee’ couple of the school. When they had broken up, people literally squealed in sadness as if it was such a huge deal.

Idiots were idiots.

“Were you able to find that boy today?” his father asked, probably trying to steer them all away from fighting. Emilio didn’t appreciate the change in topic though. He would have taken any other topic besides this one.

Blushing because why did this man have to say it in front of everyone, Emilio tried to go for casual. “Uh, yeah, actually.” It wasn’t like anything was going to come of it though; Emilio was sure Marcus, even if he did swing, would not want the guy who punched him.

“What boy?” his mother asked curiously, her eyes glowing in hope. She was dying for him to pick himself up from his fall. She had loved Victoria.

Too bad he hadn’t.

His father, being ever helpful apparently, was more than happy to take the question. “Emilio has a crush on a boy at school. I told him to give it a shot.”

Really, Emilio wasn’t sure if it was a crush or just a sexual attraction. Could be both honestly. But his mother was already looking entirely excited. “Really? That’s fantastic. Who’s he?”

Fiddling with his hands while avoiding everyone’s gazes, he murmured “He’s nobody. It’s not worth the excitement; nothing is going to come of it.”

Concern laced his father’s voice. “I thought you were going to give him an honest shot? Why’d you change your mind?”

“I-I didn’t,” not really, just more the circumstances kind of fucked everything over, “It’s just…” Man, his parents were not going to be happy to know that he had pretty much gotten into a fight. “Just that…”

“Just what?” Maria asked. Her voice was fine but Emilio could tell from just the scrunch of her eyebrow that she was still hurt by his words. “Is he not into guys? His loss then. You’re an amazing catch.”

Giving his sister a smile, he replied “Thanks but I don’t even know if that’s what the problem is or not.”

“Then what, mijo?” his mother said in questioning. She probably wanted to hold onto her hope that Marcus was his ‘savior’ from the depths of depression.

With a heavy sigh because he was probably going to get in trouble just a bit, Emilio focused on his plate as he muttered “I don’t think he’d want to go out with the guy who cracked him one in the face in front of his teammates.”

The complete silence was something Emilio totally expected. He figured his dad would be the first to break it but Alondra beat him to it. “You punched the guy you like?”

Taking a bite of her food and about to speak, his mother paused for a quick second to slap Alondra’s hand when she tried to stick her fork in the salad bowl instead of scooping some into her plate. “I’m surprised there was no call from the school?”

Letting out another sigh, Emilio said “It was technically after school. I had spent the day looking for him and by the end of P.E. I had given up. I was the last one in the locker room and then the football team came in to get ready for practice. Turns out he’s part of the football team and his name is Marcus.”

“Ooh, I bet he’s sexy,” Alicia interrupted with a smirk, “Probs got like muscles and stuff.”

Heat filled Emilio’s face. “He’s really something actually.” He bit his lip as he quietly added “He’s just like…wow.”

“But you punched him?” His father looked so confused. “You had the chance to meet him and you decided that punching him was the best way to introduce yourself? Maybe I’m not an expert at relationships because besides for your mother, my track record sucks, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the best pick up technique.”

A laugh erupted from him, full of all his embarrassment. No, no it wasn’t. “No, it isn’t but at the time, it felt like he deserved it. I’m rethinking it now that I’m looking at his face.” Below the team picture, there was the roster and Emilio had successfully located Marcus Tamrat Deresse. Even his goddamn name was sexy, that bastard.

“I wanna see!” Alicia jumped up excitedly and came to stand behind Emilio, leaning over his shoulder. Typically, he and his second oldest sister had the same taste in guys. She had even dated Joseph before Emilio had had his shot. “Point to him. Marcus, you said?” Emilio pointed at the drool worthy face of Marcus. “Oh my God, Emilio. He’s…he’s gorgeous. Why would you punch that gorgeous face?”

“Whether he’s gorgeous or not,” his father jumped in, “I’ve no idea but I also would like to know why you punched that face.”

Emilio sunk it his chair and shrugged. “He pissed me off.”

“Language,” his mother chimed. Once Emilio had tumbled down the hill of sadness, he stopped caring about his language. His parents hadn’t been amused and had tried for weeks to get him to curb his tongue but Emilio didn’t bother. He was eternally bitter and he might as well let the world know it.

Rubbing his forehead and sighing, his dad asked “And how, Emilio, did he bother you?”

Scrunching his nose, he answered “I didn’t want his pity.”

Linda looked like she was at the end of her patience rope. “Can you just explain without us having to drag out every single word?”

“Some idiots started bullying me about my height, then took my hat, so I kneed one and then they were going to beat me up. Marcus stopped them. So…I punched him.”

Raising a brow and being too smart for an almost eight-year-old, Alondra said “So…he stopped them from beating you up and you said thanks by punching him? That’s stupid.”

“I don’t need people’s pity,” Emilio snorted. “I can take a hit.”

Maria was staring at him like he was insane. “Whether or not you can take a hit is completely irrelevant. He made sure that they didn’t hit you and you think it was pity? Did it occur to you that maybe he thinks you’re gorgeous too and he didn’t want them to make your stupid face into a mess?”

Emilio froze. That hadn’t even entered his mind. All he had known at that moment in time was that he was extremely pissed. Nothing else would register inside his brain. Marcus think that he was gorgeous? Emilio was a confident guy but he didn’t think that he was a gorgeous catch that someone would drool over.

Not the way someone would about Marcus.

“Don’t be stupid,” he muttered to his eldest sister, “What is there about me that’s gorgeous? He just felt bad for the shorty who was about to get the shit beaten out of him.”

“Language,” his mother chastised once more.

“Whatever his reason was, you shouldn’t have punched him,” his father said with a definitive voice. “And whatever chance you might have had probably sailed now. But regardless, you owe him an apology.”

“Papa,” Emilio muttered in annoyance, “I’m not going to apologize. That’s it. Like you said, the ship has sailed. It’s over. Time to move on.”

“You haven’t even moved on from Joseph,” Linda snorted in a way that made Emilio want to kick her under the table. Aim for her shin? That’d be good shot. Lately, Emilio had an urge to hurt people all the time. Jesus, he was a bitter bastard nowadays. “I mean, you moved on from Victoria easy but you can’t manage it with a childhood crush? Like seriously, Emilio, move on. Joseph probably did.”

“Don’t,” he snarled. He knew that his sister meant well and was trying to get him moving but she was always so harsh about it. It hurt like fuck the way she spoke. Why did no one understand?

He felt his frustrations and sadness from the past two days rise up all over again. If only they hadn’t been stupid and gone to Joseph’s house. Feeling his tears prickling his eyes, Emilio huffed and stood from the table, leaving his family to enjoy the rest of dinner by themselves. He needed to be alone right now; he just couldn’t handle anyone at the moment.

 

* * *

 

Raul sighed once Emilio slammed the door of his bedroom hard, the noise echoing in the quiet of the apartment. He hated seeing any of his kids suffer but he had no idea how to help Emilio anymore. He’d offered all the advice he had. Everything was up to Emilio now; the ball was in his court. Thing was that broken hearts took a while to heal.

Emilio’s heart had been completely shattered.

Looking to Linda, he gave her a disapproving look while making sure that she could easily read the disappointment he was feeling in her. “I think you owe your brother an apology. That was cruel.”

Rolling her eyes, Linda replied “C’mon, papa, he needs to move on already. I get it, really, but this is just ridiculous. Joseph is gone and probably isn’t coming back. Emilio can’t spend his days in grief and hoping that his ex is going to come back. Joseph probably already moved on anyways.”

Personally, Raul didn’t think that Joseph had. The boy had so many issues that he barely even knew how to handle himself, let alone a relationship. Being with Emilio had been different though, he knew that. It was because Emilio had been Joseph’s friend for years and knew all of Joseph’s cracks and pains. Raul had thought that they were good for each other. Their personalities balanced each other out and Joseph knew how to be a sweet doting boyfriend. Sometimes he had been a little too ‘Ivo’ for Raul’s tastes but he felt like Emilio knew how to stand his ground when he had needed to.

Wherever Joseph was now, Raul prayed that he was okay.

“You owe him an apology and that’s that. Yes, he needs to move on but you don’t need to be mean about it. It’s not easy for him.”

Huffing, Linda muttered “Fine, I’ll apologize.”

“I wonder how Joseph is doing,” Claudia murmured over her empty plate, “Vesela too. It’s been so long.” She paused for a minute before looking hesitantly at Raul. “Maybe…maybe you could talk to Ivo? Just to know how they’re doing? Or just get a phone number?”

His thoughts went immediately black. He had absolutely no desire to even hear that bastard’s name. They never knew the exact reason why Joseph and Vesela had left, but really, they could all easily put two and two together. “I’m not going to speak to that man. I’ve managed to avoid him for almost a couple years now even though we’re in the same city. I have no intention of ruining my streak. Plus, I’d probably just murder him.”

Of course, there was always the option of talking to Yulian or Nikol. They had to know something. But Raul couldn’t bring himself to ask them either. He kind of didn’t want to see their faces. It wasn’t their fault but when their kids decided to shun Emilio for no fucking reason, Raul was sure as fuck siding with his child. He couldn’t believe that Andrey and Anka literally had the nerve to blame Emilio for what had happened. Sure, Raul didn’t know that for sure but that fact that they hadn’t talked to him since everything had happened, he knew that he was right.

It had broken Emilio down even more when his ‘friends’ wouldn’t speak to him anymore. They didn’t call and the one time Emilio tried to create the bridge himself, they had literally put _Albena_ on the phone to tell Emilio that her older siblings were busy right now.

Emilio never bothered after that.

And if Anka and Andrey weren’t going to talk to him, Emilio had decided trying to speak with Ivet wasn’t even worth his breath.

“We have no other way of finding out about them. Aren’t you at least a little curious?”

Yeah, he was extremely but he just couldn’t bring himself to speak to people he didn’t want to. What if he tried searching them up in the database? He could at least figure out where they had ended up that way. “I’m both curious and worried for that boy but I will not speak to Ivo. For that matter, let’s be real. Ivo wouldn’t tell me anyways. We’re just going to have to give Joseph our prayers.”

 

* * *

 

Emilio stared up at his ceiling; he felt like hitting something. Really, typical of him lately. Or maybe just moving would help. Maybe a run? It wasn’t dark yet. If anything, it’d help clear his mind. With a huff, he swung his legs over the edge of his bed, decided on his run. It’d be good for him. Getting up, he grabbed his sneakers from under his bed before he dropped to the floor to lace them up. Once that was done, he realized that he had forgotten to change into his shorts first.

But he was way too lazy to remove his shoes.

Working his pajama pants over his feet and walking over to his closet, he took out a pair of shorts. Emilio couldn’t help but laugh when he caught sight of himself in his mirror leaning against the wall. “Messy hair, shirt, boxer briefs, and Nike’s. Oh yeah. Sexy as hell, Vidal.”

He grabbed his headphones and phone once he was dressed. “One last thing,” he murmured as he grabbed Joseph’s cap and put it on. Looking back into the mirror, he said “At least, you’re decent now.”

When he walked out of his room, his family was up and moving cleaning up after dinner. Linda looked like she was about to say something when she noticed him but Emilio didn’t feel up to her apologies right now. “I’m going for a run,” he announced to whoever was listening.

“Be safe and careful, mijo,” his mother answered, “Be home before dark, please.”

“I’ll try.”

Once he was out into the world, he looked left and right, trying to decide where his destination was for the evening. He didn’t exactly have a planned route at the moment so he put his music on shuffle, put his headphones on and his phone in his pocket, and went left. It was all the same really.

After a mile and a half, Emilio was starting to get tired. _Should have brought water. Forever an idiot. God, that’s never going to change._ There was a bodega at the end of the block if he remembered right. He might as well just stop there and buy a bottle before he killed himself.

Slowing once he reached his destination, he stopped outside the door to catch a breath before walking in so he wasn’t so winded. Walking in, he was met with a flush of cool air which felt amazing. Deciding that he could wash up a bit in the bathroom in the back, Emilio made his way over and knocked before entering.

Face washed and feeling better than he had when he had walked in, he walked the path of fridges with his eyes searching out what he wanted. “Found you,” he said to himself, grabbing a water. When he reached the register, he slipped off one of his earbuds and put his water up on the counter.

“$1.08.”

“Sure thing,” Emilio murmured as he reached into his pocket for his apparently nonexistent wallet. Checking his other pocket, Emilio had the sudden memory of his wallet still sitting on his dresser. “Motherfucking idiot, Emilio.” Looking back to the incredibly bored cashier, Emilio said in embarrassment “Sorry, just forget it. Guess I forgot my wallet.”

Rolling his eyes, the cashier was about to void the transaction when someone behind Emilio spoke up. “It’s alright, I got it.”

Emilio shut his eyes as he nodded his head slowly in his disbelief. Yeah, he knew that deep sexy voice. Turning around, he looked into the face of Marcus Deresse who was looking at Emilio curiously. Good or bad curious, he wasn’t too sure. “I’m good, thanks.”

Setting his groceries on the counter, Marcus shrugged while taking out his wallet “I got it. It’s fine.”

With a groan, Emilio muttered “Dude, seriously, it’s fine.” Accepting his generosity after this afternoon was not easy. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Exactly, so I can pay,” Marcus replied, handing the cashier the amount needed. Turning to Emilio and examining him with those big beautiful eyes as the cashier rang him up, he asked “So your name’s Emilio then?”

“Yes,” he answered with a huff, “Nice to meet you again. I’m not sorry about your face, by the way.”

The teenage body was a hormonal bitch in Emilio’s mind. Because one sexy laugh from Marcus and Emilio’s blood started to run south. Joseph used to swear that just Emilio’s laugh turned him on and Emilio had always been too embarrassed to admit the same. And now here he was with Marcus. But he kind of thought he would have grown out of the affliction by now.

Or maybe laughs were just a total turn on for the rest of his life.

Could be worse really.

Handing Emilio his water as they walked out – together, dear God – Marcus said “I don’t expect you to be sorry. Any dude who is a foot shorter-”

“I’m not a foot shorter than you,” Emilio interrupted in annoyance. His height was literally the only thing that he was ever sensitive about.

Snorting in amusement, Marcus corrected “Any dude who is at least a half a foot shorter than me with the balls to crack me one sounds too badass to be sorry. Any dude who knees Tanner in the balls without a second thought also seems too badass.”

Wow, Emilio was apparently a badass.

Marcus flicked the bill of Emilio’s hat, “Why’s it so special?”

Dilemma. He could tell the truth and find out if Marcus was into guys but then, he could be telling the truth to a homophobe and possibly have his ass kicked in the middle of the street.

Hmm.

“You don’t have to say-”

“It was my boyfriend’s,” Emilio blurted out with the tiny bit of courage that he had. _Please let this go okay._ “One of the few things I have left of his. He, uh, moved and we…lost touch.” That was the nice way of putting it.

Marcus said nothing and it grated on Emilio’s nerves. He’d prefer to get some sort of reaction to at least know _something._ As they continued their walk in silence, Marcus finally said “I’m sorry, by the way.”

“For what?” Emilio asked in surprise.

“One, about losing your boyfriend because that obviously sits pretty heavy on you. Must’ve really hurt. And two, for stopping them for beating you up. But I didn’t want to see your pretty face ruined, you know?”

Stumbling to a halt as Marcus kept walking, Emilio stared in shock at the back of the other boy. Marcus stopped and turned around a few feet ahead of Emilio, a huge smile on his face. Damn nice smile. “I’m sorry, what?”

Laughing oh so sexily, Marcus said “I’m joking! I just didn’t want to get in trouble with Coach. Wind sprints are that man’s punishment and those are no fucking joke. I did want to see your reaction though. Walking with a semi must be a bitch, huh?”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. At all. Yeah, walking with a half interested dick was a serious pain in the ass but the fact that Marcus had noticed just made it all the more painful. The idiot had seriously been paying attention? What the hell?

Fucking. Embarrassing.

With another laugh, Marcus added “Dude, it’s cool. I don’t care. But you should know from now, I don’t swing.”

Emilio almost wanted to laugh hysterically. Here he was, actually thinking that maybe he could move on with this boy before him and BAM.

The universe shut him down fast.

“Whatever,” he muttered, definitely not feeling like joking or talking anymore, “I have to get home.”

Confusion flitted on Marcus’ face. “Hold up a sec-”

Just like with Linda and her apology, Emilio had no desire to hear it. Putting his earbud back on, Emilio turned his music up and picked up his jog home.

Leaving what he thought could be his happiness dumbfounded on the sidewalk behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Obvs this story and Joseph's story no longer have relatively matching timelines being that this is only updated once a week. Just thought I should throw in that fyi
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> _“You sure you’re not going to beat me up for staring too long at your pretty face?”_

Emilio slammed his locker as if it was actually going to make a difference. “Uhh…” Resting his head on the cold hard metal, he shut his eyes and muttered “Why won’t you open…”

“Uh oh, guys, I think we need to help out shrimp over there. He seems to be having some trouble.”

Groaning, Emilio hit his head on the locker, not even minding the dull pain. It wasn’t even lunch yet and this day was going to shit. He lifted his head to share a glare with Tanner and the two idiots who had held him down last time. “I don’t need any help. I’m fine.” Deciding to wear one of Mr. Kavinsky’s nasty smiles, he added “Thanks, though. You’re such a great guy.”

Tanner shook his head, a grim smile on his face. “Aw, c’mon, tater tot. Friends help each other out.” Walking closer to Emilio and slinging an arm around his shoulders, Tanner smiled “Lemme help you.”

It was uncomfortable to say the least. Tanner had a good four or five inches on Emilio. He hated when people could loom over him. Which meant he did a lot of hating in his days because every fucking person was taller than him. Shoving off the arm, Emilio snarled “Fuck you.”

Making a disgusted face, Tanner said “No way in hell, man. I ain’t no fag.” He raised his eyebrows at Emilio, “Are you? Cuz that’s fucking nasty, man. I feel gross just touching you.” The carrottop boy shook himself as if he were getting rid of invisible germs. Turning to his friends with excitement in his voice, he announced “I think we’ve got another fag we need to convert back to the straight road, gentlemen.”

His heart stopped. It was Tanner and his buddies who had beat up that kid? Despite Emilio saying that he could take a hit, he really didn’t want to be beaten up. Or worse, end up in the hospital. Shit, that’d be the worst. But he had a problem.

Emilio’s tongue was stuck in his mouth.

It wasn’t within him to lie and say that he was straight. It just felt so wrong. He would never say that he was a faggot though. That word was so disgusting, so derogatory, and Emilio hated it more than anything else in life besides maybe Mr. Kavinsky. Emilio was bisexual and had never been ashamed of it. Hell, he was proud of it and nothing would ever diminish his pride.

A smirk grew on the disgusting quarterback’s face when Emilio remained silent. “Well, it looks like I just found out your disgusting little secret, eh?”

Stamping down the panicked beating of his heart and finding his words, Emilio replied “There’s nothing wrong with loving guys.”

Dear God, he was probably going to face a beating today.

Utter revulsion contorted Tanner’s face before he spit on the floor beside Emilio’s feet. _At least my shoes get to stay nice._ “That’s fucking sick. There’s something wrong with you, fucking bitch. But don’t worry, me and my buddies are gonna save your soul from hell.”

He swung.

Pain seared through Emilio’s face as the blow connected with his nose. “Fuck,” he whispered in pain as he tried to clutch his nose but was having trouble because it hurt like hell to touch it. Blood was pooling out and he didn’t even have the chance to hit back before someone’s knee connected with his stomach. Emilio coughed and dropped to the floor as somebody else, or maybe the same person, kicked him hard in his side. A yelp escaped him as his fingers were stepped on when he tried to get to his feet.

Fuck his life.

Getting up proved to be too difficult and while Emilio hated just taking it, he knew it was all he could as he curled up and covered his head. That was the most important part that needed protecting right now. There was no way in hell that he’d ever be able to take on three people. Hell, what were the chances he could take on Tanner alone unless he planned and practiced?

Another pained yelp erupted from him as kicks came from all over. He couldn’t just lay here; no way. Finding some resolve, Emilio tried to get up but was halted halfway as Tanner made a hit for his groin. Biting his lip to keep in his cry, Emilio ended up on his knees on the floor. He was cupping his throbbing privates and his head was rested on the tile. People were literally just _watching._ As if he were nothing. It didn’t matter that they didn’t know him, wouldn’t your humanity make you help someone? Emilio would help anyone if they needed it.

Emilio was apparently different than everyone else.

Kneeling beside him, Tanner whispered “Tell you what, faggy, you beg me to stop and I will. Make sure you say please and thank you.”

Breathing hard in pain, Emilio lifted his throbbing head and stared Tanner square in the eye. “Fuck. You.”

_“Bet ya I can spit farther than you!” Emilio laughed as he watched Joseph spit into the street. “That was pathetic.” Joseph shoved him into the lamppost. “Jerk!”_

_“When we get back to my house, we’re having a spitting contest. I’m gonna put your sorry Puerto Rican butt to shame.”_

Pulling in all the saliva in the world, Emilio spat on Tanner’s face.

“Ooooh!” someone in the crowd of onlookers shouted, “Dude’s got balls, man!”

Emilio flicked a glare at his supposed support in a denim jacket. The least the guy could do was do something sense he apparently admired his balls.

Ha. Ha. Admired his balls.

Lord, he was being beaten and he was busy making stupid dirty jokes.

“He likes to use them for guys too,” Tanner announced with a smile to the crowd, “Not just for his courage.”

He stupidly wanted to jump in and say that he was actually a virgin. Emilio had never done anything more beyond making out but announcing that just to correct Tanner was a stupid idea. Honestly, he wasn’t sure that he could speak very well anyways; his words would probably come out all screwy. And even if he did say it, it wouldn’t matter.

For the rest of his school career, Emilio knew he’d be nothing more but the fag in people’s minds.

The crowd was silent until someone said in a scandalized voice “He’s a fag? That’s nasty.”

“Beat it out of him, Tanner!” some stupid bitch shouted in excitement.

_Dear God, help me._

Tanner laughed “Don’t you worry! Me and my boys will help him back to the straight road. Just like with Robert. Only talks to girls now! What an improvement, yeah?”

Vomit was boiling in his stomach and Emilio felt like it would come up any minute now but Vidals didn’t just go down. No fucking way. He wasn’t just going to be beaten. To take the beating.

Vidals went down with a fight.

Getting to his feet, albeit shakily, Emilio snarled loud to make sure that everyone heard “I’m never going to be ashamed of who I am. Yeah, I love guys and I love girls too. But I will never be ashamed for it. No amount of a beating will ever change that.” Balling up a really nice fist, Emilio slammed it into an unsuspecting Tanner, straight into his stupid face. “Maybe a beating will help fix your shitty homophobia though.” He slammed another into Tanner’s gut, the crowd watching in silent fascination. Even Tanner’s buddies were shocked into a still stupor. “Lemme help you, yeah?

Once Tanner was down on the tiled floor after another fist and a knee, Emilio straddled his chest while ignoring the throbbing pain igniting his body. Now wasn’t the time. “Eat this, you piece of shit,” he snarled into Tanner’s ear before laying into him.

Punch.

After punch.

After punch.

Moved out of their trance, Tanner’s friends were up and moving, shoving Emilio off and slamming him into the floor. He knew that now that he was down, he was probably going to stay down as the blows came again and again. Emilio lost himself in the pain and was surprised when he stopped feeling any fresh jabs. He hadn’t heard any teachers’ voices but that was hardly a surprise. The school cared more about their athletes and keeping their status than some kid getting beaten.

Some faggot at that.

Groaning as he tried to sit up, he was surprised to feel someone’s hands softly pushing him back down. “It’d probably be better if you didn’t move.”

Flicking his swollen eyes open, Emilio was met with the gorgeously concerned face of Marcus. Gorgeously concerned was sexy as fuck just in case that had to be reiterated. “I don’t…think I wan’…move anyways,” Emilio muttered with every slurred pain laced word. Speaking was off the list of things to do right now. That along with moving and breathing too.

“Don’t worry about it, I got you, badass,” Marcus murmured, sitting down beside Emilio. “Nurse is getting you an ambulance; you need a hospital, man.”

Great. The one thing he hadn’t wanted to happen. Jesus, he was going to give his mother a heart attack when he showed up there. Was she working the E.R. today? Emilio couldn’t remember. Maybe she had a floor? Either way, when she found out, he was so screwed. Groaning again and deciding that consequences could be thought about later, Emilio shut his eyes and tried to focus on figuring out how to breath without it hurting too bad.

When he opened his eyes once more, he found himself in a quiet room. More specifically, a hospital room and even more specifically, not actually quiet because the heart monitor had a nice steady beat to it. At least he knew that his heart was healthy and strong. Jesus, every part of his body felt heavy and ached, even his eyes.

“Hola, mijo.”

“Hola, mama,” he muttered as his eyes adjusted to the fact that he was awake. His mother was standing at the foot of the bed and she did not look at all amused.

With a brow raised in disappointment and – he liked to think – concern, she came closer to him and stopped beside his bed. “A fight, Emilio?”

“In my defense,” he mumbled out, not bringing himself to meet her searing gaze, “I was defending myself. The bastard hit me first.”

Crossing her arms definitely not in concern, she replied “You know how panicked I was when one of the nurses told me that my son was her patient? And then papa calls and asks if I’ve seen you yet because the school called, telling him that they had called an ambulance for you? He’s on his way, by the way.”

Whimpering in pain as he tried to sit himself up, Emilio said with pained breaths “I didn’t start it, mama. It’s not my fault if the piece of shit wants to make issues.”

“Language,” she chastised with a shake of her head before she helped him sit good. Placing a kiss on his head, she murmured “I didn’t say that it was but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re in a hospital.”

Giving her the most miniscule laugh in the world which was more than he even expected to manage, Emilio rested comfortably into his pillow. Blinking up at the lovely lady, he joked “Three against one. The odds were definitely not in my favor. But I think I might have done a number on Tanner’s face. I actually don’t remember very well. Everything’s kind of fuzzy.”

With a sigh, she took a careful seat on the edge of his bed. “Well, you’ve been unconscious for the past couple hours so I’d imagine that your brain would be quite the jumble.”

He could feel his brows raise high in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” she nodded, carefully running her fingers through his hair, “No concussion or anything which is always a good sign. But lots and lots of bruises so you’re going to be sore for a while. I’m sure you’ve noticed that your nose is broken but it’s been set nice and straight.”

Lovely. Just fucking lovely. “I noticed,” Emilio ‘smiled.’ God, even smiling hurt. But Emilio had an immediate concern right now that he had to know about. It was probably the most important thing that he needed to know. “Uh…what about…uh…you know…”

“Do I?” his mother laughed. Just from that laugh, he knew that she knew exactly what he was trying to ask. She was making him suffer through the embarrassment of asking.

With a stupid ass blush, Emilio gestured vaguely down where excruciating pain had happened. “You know…everything’s okay…?”

“Something you’re asking specifically?”

Groaning and hating his mom right at this moment, he covered his heated face and muttered “Is my dick okay? It got hit really hard and I haven’t exactly had the chance to use it yet…”

“Don’t want it ruined already, huh?”

Emilio was about to say _no, duh_ but before he had the chance, the door opened and in walked his father and Alicia.

_Fuck._

And Marcus.

Alicia had this huge grin on her face that was so freaking obvious. Uh, why didn’t he have something that he could throw at her? Later, definitely later. His father took one of the empty chairs beside the bed, Alicia taking the seat next to him, and asked “What are we ruining already?”

Emilio was very very conscious of Marcus standing at the door as his mother answered with a lovely bright smile “Emilio’s worried his man parts were damaged. He didn’t get the chance to enjoy them yet.”

“Oh my God,” he groaned, covering his face in embarrassment. “Seriously?”

“Ah,” his dad nodded, a cheeky smile on his face making his dimples come out, “If I were him, I’d be worried too.”

“Oh my God, people…”

“I’d be worried too,” Marcus laughed.

 _Yup, it’s working fine_ . Emilio pulled the sheet just a tad bit higher just in case the little interested twitch became way more than that. But the movement was apparently noticed despite its subtilty because Marcus laughed once more. The jackass figured what he was trying to hide and once Alicia caught on, there was no stopping her laughter either.

Even though she was supposed to be better than these dorks, his mother most obviously wasn’t as she was barely holding in her own laugh. “I’m guessing your question was answered?”

Blushing, he nodded and made sure to avoid everyone’s gazes. It was even worse when his father couldn’t hold himself in anymore and burst into laughter. Clearing his throat as Emilio rolled his eyes, he said “I’m sorry, mijo, I can’t help it.”

“Oh, no,” Emilio muttered, “Please, laugh your hearts out.”

“So how bad?”

Brushing back Emilio’s hair with her fingers, his mom replied “Well, broken nose and lots of bruises which include two ribs. Of course, his face isn’t as pretty as usual and neither is the rest of him. Under the gown is not a nice sight.” Emilio took a curious glance under the collar of his gown. Definitely not pretty. “But with painkillers and some rest, he should be okay. His nose was already set without surgery, thankfully, but there are splints in place for now.”

“Totally cool, badass,” Marcus murmured with an approving glow in those stupid sexy eyes.

“Totally, badass,” Alicia smirked to Emilio with a wink.

Glaring at his sister, he muttered in Spanish “Don’t make me throw something at your stupid face.”

“Anyways,” his mother interrupted as she got comfortable beside him without taking up too much space, “I think it’s time for an explanation, no?”

“Explanation?”

“The reason you’re in the hospital? The fight?”

“Oh…” he trailed, his heart fluttering nervously. He really didn’t want to talk about it with Marcus standing there. But then…he already knew that Emilio liked guys; he owned the secret already. Fiddling with his bruised but luckily not broken fingers, he began “I was trying to get my locker open and then that fucking bastard-”

“Language, for God’s sake, mijo.”

“That piece of garbage,” Emilio emphasized, “started making fun of me again and I told him ‘fuck you,’” he paused for the chastisement but received none so he continued, “Then he starting saying that he wasn’t a disgusting fag…” He glanced down at his hands, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes. “I knew that if I just joked around with him this could have been avoided but…I couldn’t do it.”

Everyone was silent as they waited for him to finish. Taking a deep breath even though afterwards he realized how painful of an idea that was, Emilio said in a strong voice while glancing around at the people in the room “I’m not ashamed for loving guys and I shouldn’t have to be. I’m not going to lie about myself just to avoid intolerant people from hurting me. Because the minute I start lying about who I am, it would mean everything I’ve ever experienced was a lie. A joke.”

Love had never been a joke to him.

“Me and Joseph weren’t a lie. We weren’t a joke. I loved him. I _still_ love him.” He could feel the prickle of the offending tears in his eyes. His voice wobbled as he said “I’m not just going to listen to homophobic fuckers hate on people just because they love differently because then I’ll be just as bad as them.” Looking between his parents, he added “So when I get out of this hospital, I’m going to beat the shit out of Tanner and give him what he deserves. Sorry in advanced when I get suspended.”

His father leaned back in his chair and contemplated Emilio closely. His mother hugged him carefully and kissed his head. Alicia had a grim look on her face but a fierce fire was in her eyes. “When you go to beat him up, I’m joining you. I wanna beat the crap out of him too.”

Clutching his side in pain as a laugh escaped him, Emilio replied “I appreciate it but please don’t make me laugh. It hurts like crazy.”

Getting to his feet, his dad walked over to him and hugged him close. “You should never be ashamed, mijo. And I’ll be incredibly proud when you beat him.” Holding Emilio’s face carefully, he added “Make sure you get a good hit at his dick, yeah?”

“Promise,” Emilio smiled. Damn, his nose hurt.

They looked to Marcus as he spoke up from his spot at the door, “I still got you, dude.”

“Thanks because I’m going to need it. I’m short as fuck.”

Laughing with sparkling eyes, Marcus replied “Doesn’t make you any less of a badass. It’s just a minor inconvenience that don’t mean shit.” He smiled in the form of a promise. “I’ll make up the rest of the height.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy ^.^
> 
> _“I’m sorry I’m not an expert at flirting or… or sexual innuendo!”_

Emilio groaned as he pulled himself out of bed to go see who was insistently buzzing at the door. Everything hurt despite the pain medicine he had taken and he felt like all his nap did was make him incredibly sore. “I’m coming,” he muttered as the buzzer sounded again even though he knew that whoever it was couldn’t hear him. Why didn’t one of his sisters answer? He was an injured soul; he was allowed to be spoiled for a little, damn them.

As he walked into the living room, Emilio realized that the apartment was empty. Well, there was that answer. Sighing, he pushed the button for the intercom. “Who?”

“Guess,” the deep voice on the other end said with a hint of a smile in his tone, “C’mon, open up. I even brought you something.”

He cursed both Alicia and his father; it was either one of them who had given Marcus the address. His mom wouldn’t have done it without asking Emilio first. Pushing the button once more, he muttered “Coming. It better be something good; I got stairs I gotta drag my ass down.”

There wasn’t a need for Marcus to turn the intercom back on for Emilio to know that the dude was laughing. Opening the door of his apartment, Emilio slowly worked his way down the stairs. They weren’t as steep as the old building and were even one flight less.

But still no elevator.

Finally reaching the building’s front door, he opened it up to the smiling face of Marcus. He was holding a bag in his hand but Emilio couldn’t tell what it was. Eyeing the bag, he muttered “You should’ve wrapped it. Make it more official and shit.”

Marcus’ smile grew larger and his eyes glowed in amusement. “I want to laugh but you gotta make it back up those stairs. I _could_ carry you but that’d probably just make everything worse.”

Okay, Emilio was that sexually forgone, dammit. This ass. What bugged him even more was the fact that he couldn’t stop himself from blushing like an idiot. He made sure to turn around and begin the horrible climb of the stairs so Marcus wouldn’t see. “You’re an ass and shut and lock the door.”

“Yessir,” Marcus laughed, following Emilio up once he completed the ‘orders.’ “So demanding, aren’t you?”

Reaching the door to his apartment, Emilio opened it up with an eyeroll that Marcus didn’t see and gestured for the other boy to go in. “Hi and welcome. Thanks for coming.”

“Aw, so polite,” Marcus snorted with an amused glint in those stupid sexy eyes as he walked in, taking a spot on one of the couches and setting the bag at his feet.

Emilio trudged in, his body protesting with every step until he reached the other couch in front of the balcony door. When living in a small place, a person had to make the best of the room they had. If they ever wanted to go out on the balcony, they’d usually just vault over the couch. With a small whimper escaping him as he got comfortable, Emilio said “So, what the hell happened to your nose? Were you jealous of mine?”

With a smirk, Marcus tapped his freshly split nose. It couldn’t be more than a day or two old. “I really wanted us to match so I could look all badass like you, dude.”

“Whatever,” Emilio muttered with a savage eyeroll. Honestly, he couldn’t tell if Marcus was mocking him or not every time he said he was badass or whatever. Was it a joke or was he serious? Emilio had never exactly seen himself as particularly badass or even mildly rebellious but what did he know? Maybe Marcus saw something Emilio didn’t.

Actually, saw something that no one did because his family definitely had never considered Emilio as a rebel or even tough. Annoying, yeah. Irritating, frustrating, nosy, needed to shut up more often than not, yeah, definitely.

Not badass.

“Who gave it to you?”

“Tanner,” Marcus replied simply. “He didn’t exactly enjoying getting his face broken again. He looks way worse, dude. My nose was the only good hit he got in.”

Annoyance boiled in Emilio. He hated when people thought he couldn’t handle something by himself. It didn’t help that he was short either because people literally thought that something as stupid as that made him any less capable. “I can fight my own battles.”

Marcus shook his head. “It’s not about you specifically. Look, me and Tanner go way back and he knows that whenever he does something stupid or talks bullshit, then I kick his ass. It ain’t nothing new between me and him. Just so happens that it included you this time and it just so happens that I find you particularly interesting.”

Wow, now Emilio was interesting. How nice. “Why do you care if he talks shit? And why be friends if it bugs you so much?”

“I told you, me and him go way back. He’s always been there for me. He may be an ass and…an ass but he knows how to be a good friend when need be.”

“Uhuh,” Emilio nodded like it all made complete sense. Why would someone want to stay friends with someone who was a piece of shit? Made no sense to him. “And so…what? He gets homophobic and you turn into defender man? ‘Oh let me save the gays!’ Why do you care?” The only allies Emilio had ever met in his life were his parents and sisters. And Andrey. That was literally it. Anyone could say that they were cool with someone being a rainbow child but that was all bullshit once a homophobe came around.

Then everyone was always too afraid to open their mouths.

And yet…Marcus apparently wasn’t? Interesting…

With a shrug, Marcus replied “I’m not a hater, man. Look, I know you got some kinda thing for me. It don’t bother me none. It’s like if a girl had a thing for me. It doesn’t matter, you know?”

Great, he knew he had a thing for him. Jesus. “You sure you’re not going to beat me up for staring too long at your pretty face?”

Marcus broke into laughter while shaking his head. “No, man, I’m not. Hell, I’ll be flattered if you really want to stare at my fugly ass mug that long.”

Huh, interesting. Most straight guys didn’t want the gay staring at them in case it suddenly turned them into a fag. Except Marcus. And Andrey. Andrey had literally asked if he was pretty or not. “Uhuh.”

“Emilio, man, look. It seriously doesn’t bug me. I don’t care how long you stare or some girl stares. It doesn’t affect me in anyway because it doesn’t matter to me.”

“Can’t say I’ve ever met a straight guy who doesn’t care if the girls are staring.”

Face palming while shaking his head to Emilio’s confusion, Marcus uncovered his face and focused intently on Emilio. “Okay, I don’t think I’m making myself clear enough. So let’s try this. I told you that I don’t swing-”

“I remember that clearly, don’t worry.”

“Shut up for five seconds,” Marcus huffed, just the slightest annoyance coming through his voice. “And I don’t. I don’t swing left or right. Get it?”

Emilio blinked blankly at the handsome boy before him for a few seconds before he felt like realization was tapping on his brain. “So…you’re ace? But…you had a girlfriend? Well, I guess you were romantically attracted if not sexually-”

“Stop.” With a sigh and an eyeroll, Marcus said “Okay, you’re close. I’ll give you that and I’ll just say that you’ve been in the hospital which is why you don’t seem as smart as I thought you were.”

“Rude.”

A cheeky smile lit up Marcus’ face before he continued. “What gets me hyped and hard and excited isn’t looks, that’s all a blank to me. I like emotions. I like the connection people make on a deeper level. Inside not the outside, you know? I don’t care if you’re a guy or a girl, I don’t care if your thin, fat, brown, white, green, all I care about is how beautiful a person is on the inside. When I find that goddamn sexiness in there, then I’m all up in your outside prettiness. Because when you’re beautiful inside, you become gorgeous outside.”

That was…deep as fuck. Emilio was shallow compared to that beautiful speech. You had pretty eyes? He loved you already. Nice smile? Yum, eat me now. Gorgeous laugh? Dear God, take me. He of course wanted a person to be beautiful inside but he wasn’t going to lie and say that he didn’t look at the outside.

Marcus, it seemed, didn’t.

Shit.

Marcus didn’t look at the outside.

With a huge smile growing on his face and the tiniest flame of hope growing in his chest alongside a spark of excitement, Emilio laughed “So I’m pretty sure you just implied that I have a shot with you.”

Grinning, Marcus slipped off his shoes and stretched out on the couch, head and feet each on an armrest. “Take whatever implication you want, badass.”

Stretching out himself in similar fashion to Marcus except his legs didn’t reach the other side of the couch and he groaned in pain, Emilio laughed and stared up at the ceiling. Well, well, it looked like God had been messing with Emilio to cause him more heartache just for the hell of it.

What a bastard that guy.

Wait…was that blasphemy?

Hmm…

“So I just gotta make a nice impression, huh?”

“With more than what’s in your pants, yeah.”

Slapping his face to hide his heating face, Emilio groaned “Dude, you’re such an ass.”

“I mean, yeah, probably.”

“Please shut up.”

A snort erupted from Marcus. “Then this is gonna be a boring ass visit.”

Sighing as he uncovered his face and turned his head to face Marcus, Emilio replied “Well, no one told you to visit. It was your choice.”

“My conscience told me to show up. It has a soft spot for badasses. I’ve got a sweet spot for them. My ex was badass, if not in the whole ‘I’ll beat the shit out of you’ way, but like, she didn’t take people’s shit. She’s good with words. Can make a dude feel miniscule in a second.”

Emilio couldn’t remember who the ex was. He hadn’t been one of the people who had squealed in despair when they had broken up because that was stupid as fuck. Who cared? Her name had started with an ‘L’ or something. “Why ex?”

The other boy just shrugged while staring up at the ceiling. “Just didn’t work after a while. We knew it’d be better if we went our separate ways. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell though.” With a small laugh, Marcus added “Also the fact that her dad was a racist did not help at all. All he’d ever say was that his ‘little girl’ deserved so much more than just a ‘black boy.’ Fuck ‘im.”

He didn’t think he could ever respect any of his family if they were racists. It was as bad as being a homophobe. Emilio didn’t tolerate hate like that. Sure, a person can hate the actions or what someone says but to hate just based on who they are?

Fuck. You.

When the door was opened, they both turned their heads to watch as Linda and Alondra walked in, each with bags in hand. Alondra looked like she could see Marcus’ entire life from the way that she was examining him and Linda looked like she was thanking God for saving Emilio from a life of depression.

So annoying.

“Hello,” Linda greeted as she placed her bags on the kitchen table before walking over to them, taking a seat beside Emilio after shoving his legs down. “I’m Linda.”

Emilio wanted to cry in pain. “You didn’t have to push so hard. Goddammit, Linda.”

“Language,” Alondra sang as she skipped to her room which she shared with Linda and Alicia. Emilio had never been more happy in his life on not having any brothers because it meant he got an entire room to himself. Well, technically when his grandmother came back from her extremely extended visit in Connecticut, they’d be sharing again, but until then, Emilio got to enjoy the privileges of an only room and a full sized bed.

Damn, was he living it up.

Grinning as he watched Alondra disappear, Marcus turned back to Emilio and Linda. “Marcus Deresse; nice to meet you.” Glancing at Emilio with a smirk, he laughed “Anymore siblings? Sisters, should I say.”

He rolled his eyes as he replied “One more. Maria. Oldest of us all and from my dad’s first wife. You got siblings?”

With a nod, Marcus said “Three brothers. Youngest is from my mom’s on and off boyfriend, not from mine and my brothers’ dad. Doesn’t make him any less banging though.”

“Of course not,” Emilio snorted in amusement. He’d met a boy in school once who’d laughed and bragged how at least he wasn’t _a half_ like his sister. He said it like it was the most disgusting thing ever; like being a half was an insult. Emilio just didn’t understand people like that. “You the youngest? I have Alondra younger than me.”

“Second oldest. There’s Barry before me, then after me is my ever amazing dude T, and then the littlest is the adorably awesome Desta.”

Desta? What kind of name was that? Also…why wasn’t Barry filled with loving and complimenting adjectives? “Couple questions I got for you.”

“Emilio,” Linda muttered as if she was his mother stopping him from his insistent questions. Pft, no one could stop a curious Vidal from learning what they want to know. His sisters acted like they were any better than him but they totally weren’t.

“This is a bonding process. Hush up.” Turning back to his possible happiness, Emilio asked “First, why doesn’t Barry get all these amazing adjectives? Two, what’s T stand for and, last for the moment, where does the name Desta come from?”

Smirking, Marcus raised an eyebrow. “That’s a few questions not a couple. And if I answer your questions, I get to ask some in return. Bonding process, you know?”

He grated his lip between his teeth. “Okay, deal.”

“Cool,” Marcus nodded. “I’ll answer a question, then you answer one. Make sure I get back what I’m giving.” Emilio shrugged an ‘okay’ in response. “So, me and my older brother aren’t that tight and he generally pisses me off. Hence, no adjectives. At least, nothing like my other brothers get.” Making a face, he added “I can think of plenty other kinds though.” Emilio was about to say something when Marcus waved his hand to cut him off. “My question first. Giving and receiving remember?”

“Right, my bad. Go ahead.”

“Tell me about the boyfriend. Well, ex, I guess.”

His heart stopped. “What?”

“Tell me something about him. Why’d he move all suddenly where all you got is a cap? That’s gotta be something big. You guys fight or something?”

Emilio didn’t want to talk about Joseph. Like really _really_ didn’t want to talk about Joseph. When he’d agreed to questions, he thought that they’d be about him specifically. Not Joseph. Not the reason his life had been thrown completely off base and his happy being had been torn apart. “Different question, please,” he whispered. That ache that he always felt was blooming in his chest and, Lord, was it not a welcome feeling.

Sitting up while leaning in just a bit, Marcus said softly “Doesn’t have to hurt so bad if you just talk about it.”

Great, so the bastard was a perceptive one. Lovely. As tears filled his eyes and Linda’s filled with careful concern for him, he replied while on the brink of a crying fest “It’s always going to hurt. That’ll never change.” Wiping his face harshly, he repeated “Different question.”

One silent look from Marcus and Linda was up, carefully pushing Emilio’s legs off her lap before walking to her room. Look at them, already with their secret silent language. Emilio stared down at the floor hard as Marcus got up and sat down beside him. “Talking helps, you know.”

God, how many times was _he_ the one saying those words? “Hurts too.”

“You know…you can’t move on if you don’t talk. And if there’s ever gonna be a me and you…I don’t do halves, man. I want every goddamn inch. Go big or go home.”

“Joseph’s always going to own a piece of me,” Emilio said quietly. He wasn’t stupid; he knew he was more or less sabotaging his own chances right now. But it was _Joseph_. How was he just supposed to…

Everything was always so fucking hard.

“I haven’t even impressed you yet anyways,” he added, “We don’t even have to count losses; just leave.”

Marcus sat still beside him, making it obvious that he had no intentions of giving up yet. And if Emilio was in his right mind at the moment, he’d realize that there had to be a reason why Marcus didn’t want to give up that easily. “I’m not saying forget but you can’t love two people at the same time. You can’t have the past and the present.”

“I’m just a stupid boy with a crush,” Emilio couldn’t help but snap. A mixture of hurt and frustration were not good for the soul. He couldn’t even go on a run to clear his head because of his stupid broken body. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Isn’t that how it started with Joseph?”

Emilio lifted his head and glared at Linda who was standing in doorway of the hallway. “Not your conversation.”

She walked over and sat on the other couch, concern lacing every word as she spoke. “Emilio, no one is saying to forget Joseph. You can move on without having to forget. But you don’t have to hurt every single time you think of him.” Getting off the couch, she crouched in front of him, taking his hands in hers. “You should think of the amazing times you guys had together. Tell stories of your guys’ idiocy; not cry because he’s gone.”

He was sobbing long before she had even finished her words. Before she had even started even. Emilio took his hands back and rested his elbows on his knees so he could drop his face into his hands. They were the cup to catch every ounce of his pain and the mess that he was.

It surprised him when arms suddenly wrapped around him and a head rested on his. Arms and a head that definitely weren’t his sister’s. “Crying helps too.”

Letting out a pathetic snotty laugh that was just oh so gross, Emilio replied “I-It’s messy as fuck, though.”

Feeling the vibrations of Marcus’ laugh was more comforting than Emilio could have ever imagined. He missed this feeling. This closeness with another person. It hadn’t felt like this with Victoria.

This was different. This was treading into danger zone.

This was what he had felt with Joseph.

Sniffling and too grossed out to wipe his face or even uncover it, Emilio laughed “So my hands are totally gross. Not to mention my face.”

Both Linda and Marcus laughed. He felt Linda kiss the top of his head before she murmured “Go wash up. I don’t think Marcus wants his first impression to be this nasty boogery mess.”

Once he reached the bathroom and shut the door, Emilio realized that the sense of loss he was feeling was because of Marcus. He wasn’t wrapped in his arms anymore and that made him feel…naked.

He was trading into dangerous territory with Marcus, he knew it.

But maybe it was time to venture out of the safe zone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Hope y'all's are loving  
> Enjoy
> 
> _“Well hello, faggy! Look who’s out of the hospital!”_

He felt better now. The tears had helped; it felt like he had emptied out a little bit of the soon to burst dam inside of him. The dam had been collecting for more than a year now – it couldn’t take much more. His breakdown left a little bit of wiggle room for him to just _breathe_ .

They were the most amazing breaths Emilio had taken in a long while.

They sat outside on the steps to his building, off to the side just in case his neighbors needed to go in or out. Silence hung between them as they watched their surroundings – the birds, the occasional person walking by. But the peacefulness wasn’t the uncomfortable kind. They were simply enjoying each other’s company. After some time had passed, Emilio decided it was time to break the quiet. He didn’t drag his bruised body downstairs and outside just to sit and stare at an empty street.

“His parents,” he said quietly.

“Homophobes?”

“The worst. Or at least…his dad was. I don’t think his mom’s as bad.” Or maybe she just wasn’t one? She had taken Joseph, hadn’t she? If him being gay had bothered her…she could have just pulled a Mr. Kavinsky instead.

Marcus nodded in thought as he watched a pigeon flutter down onto the sidewalk. “Got caught?”

Ha. Understatement of the fucking year, man. Of the fucking year. “Yup,” Emilio replied, popping the ‘p.’ “I think if…I think if it had been his mom, we would’ve been okay. It would have been better.” For one thing, as much as Mrs. Kavinsky could yell, and, fuck, she could yell, there was no way she would have been close to being as terrifying as Mr. Kavinsky. Or threatening, or…terrifying. “Maybe…”

“Things would have been okay?”

Looking down at his hands, Emilio whispered “He’d probably still be here.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Marcus turn to look at him with those big gorgeous eyes of his. “I’m sorry, man. I really really am.”

Emilio sighed deeply. So, so deep. Talking actually did help even if all he’d said was the smallest amount of information in the world. But it was like…this weight had been lifted. “Me too.” Playing with his fingernails, he murmured “Do I get my question now?”

“Floor’s yours.”

“What’s T stand for?”

A smile grew on Marcus’ face. “Tewodros. But he gets bullied for it, so he goes by T instead. Fucking assholes. Sucks that I can’t beat up kids, man. I’d kick their fucking ignorant asses.” Did Emilio have a thing for bad boys? Because Joseph was a pretty aggressive dude too. Emilio was about to ask his next question but Marcus beat him to speaking. “Our names are Armahic. Me and Desta’s middle names and T’s and Barry’s first names. My mom was going for like a pattern or whatever according to her.”

Opening his mouth to ask about Barry because that sure as fuck was not a name from another language, Emilio was once again cut off. “Beranhu. And Desta’s first name is Devyn. Armahic is a language of Ethiopia.”

Huh…Ethiopia. That was cool. “So you’re-”

“Technically, yes,” Marcus answered, interrupting the question before it was even out. “I call myself black though. I’m not African American, I’m black, don’t mix it up. My mom’s connection to Ethiopia is literally like more than ten generations back, man. My dad is from fucking New Orleans. I’m black as fuck. It’s like if I called you Mexican when you’re Dominican.”

Turning to face Marcus while feeling more confused than he had ever been because…Dominican? what the fuck? Emilio said slowly “I’m…not Dominican.”

Marcus blinked at him for a second before he broke into an embarrassed laugh. “Fuck, man, I’m fucking sorry. I just killed my whole point there then. Really, I’m sorry. People at school said- fuck, wait, I think Tanner said…” Marcus laughed as he covered his face. It muffled the beautiful laugh and Emilio just wanted to yank the hands away so he could hear better. “Why the fuck would I listen to Tanner when it comes to you? He hates your guts. I’m fucking stoooopid.”

Wow, hated his guts just like that? Emilio didn’t like Tanner because he was a big ass bully but God. Hate was extreme. “He said I was Dominican?”

Shaking his head as he uncovered his face and laughed again, Marcus replied “He said ‘that goddamn fag who’s like fucking Dominican or whatever.’ I don’t know why he picked Dominican.”

That goddamn fag. Lovely. That was probably going to be Emilio’s moniker at school from now on, God help him. “I’m Puerto Rican.”

“I will keep that in mind.” Spreading his hands like a rainbow, he announced “Emilio is Puerto Rican.”

“And Marcus is black. Glad we got that out of the way. Now-”

“You’ve got more questions or whatever, right?”

Scrunching his nose in annoyance, Emilio muttered “You interrupt too much.”

“Dude, you’re fucking predictable.”

“Oh please. I’m curious; there’s a difference.”

Rolling his eyes as he slouched on the step he was sitting on and leaning back on the one behind them, Marcus said “It’s my turn anyways, Mr. Curious.”

A little ounce of nervousness hit him but Emilio gestures for Marcus to go ahead. “No Joseph questions.”

Marcus actually looked a little guilty. “That was a bit unfair of me, I’ll admit it. No Joseph questions.”

Shaking his head, Emilio murmured “I mean…I guess it’s okay. It kind of helped saying some stuff out loud.” He slapped his bruise free hand on Marcus’ mouth as it opened to once more interrupt before Emilio got a chance to finish. “Shut up. Don’t need to hear the ‘I told you so.’”

Emilio let out a really odd noise he didn’t even know he could make and yanked his hand away when Marcus bit his finger. Staring at his finger like it was foreign, Emilio said “Dude? What the fuck?”

“You’ll appreciate it later,” Marcus winked with a salacious smile on his face.

“What?” Emilio said incredulously, “What am I going to appreciate? You biting? How exactly…” He trailed off and started blushing bad. The smile on Marcus’ face suddenly made sense. He changed the way he was sitting in hopes of hiding his blossoming erection which only bloomed more when Marcus started laughing. “You do this on fucking purpose, you asshole.”

A huge smirk erupted on Marcus’ face as he leaned in nice and close and whispered in Emilio’s ear “You are what you eat.”

“Oh my God!” Emilio leaped to his feet despite how incredibly painful it was and not just from his injuries. His pants felt exceptionally tight right now. God fucking dammit, this guy. “Please shut up.”

Marcus coughed out through his raucous laughter, “Dude, you make it so fucking easy!”

“I’m sorry I’m not an expert at flirting or… or sexual innuendo!” He blushed when his downstairs old lady neighbor gave him a look like ‘excuse me??? Did I just hear what I thought I did???’ as she walked out of the building. Flinging his hands up in utter defeat, he muttered “Just ask your question.”

Still laughing a little, Marcus smiled as he said “Okay, okay, sit back down, badass.” Emilio gave the boy in front of him a look with narrowed eyes before finally sitting back down on the step. “Now, my next question is what do you want to be? Like career wise.”

“That’s seriously your question?” It felt like one of those interviews you do for a dating app or something. Not that Emilio ever tried one of those things but apparently on tv shows, it was a thing.

He nodded, “Yes.”

This was an easy one then. “I’m going to become a detective like my dad. I’ve been wanting that since I was little.”

“Nice. I like.”

“Gee, thanks,” he scoffed after a yawn. Man, he ached like fuck. “My turn. This wasn’t going to be my original question but whatever. What do you want to be?”

With a thoughtful look on his face as he scratched above his brow, Marcus replied “Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. Kinda just shuffling between options right now. Currently, my pile consists of being a marine, a teacher, or a social worker. Hell, maybe even a prosecutor. All I know is that I want to help people.”

Good choices. Very good choices. Emilio seriously liked. “I totally approve of all of those choices. I think I like you even more now.”

“Wow, that’s damn sweet, my nigger. Thank you,” Marcus laughed.

Emilio was too stuck on word choice to admire Marcus’ laugh. “Did…you just call me…”

With a chuckle, Marcus snorted “I’m blacker than the blackest black, badass. Like even blacker than a fucking black hole. And because I’m so goddamn fucking black, I can use that word how I please. Now, if you go around using that word or start calling me nigger, even in a joking sweet bullshit way? I’ll kick your fucking ass. Sexy badass or not.”

“Sexy, huh?”

“I gave you a whole fucking speech and that’s what you heard?”

“No, I heard how goddamn black you are. So black that I can sit here and fantasize to the color of your gorgeous skin and be happy for the rest of my life. I just like the fact that you think I’m sexy so I had to zero in on that.”

There was the tiniest tinge of a beautiful blush on Marcus that made Emilio feel incredibly accomplished. “Fantasies, huh?”

Nodding full of surety and finding his confidence footing, Emilio said “Oh yeah. Sexy, sexy fantasies. I haven’t found a single thing about you yet that doesn’t give me boner, you sexy bastard.”

Marcus was smiling so huge, that Emilio felt like he was winning whatever game they were playing. “Whoa, whoa, best compliment I’ve ever gotten. Damn.”

“You’re welcome.”

Shaking his head as he laughed, Marcus asked “So how old are you? Gotta make sure I’m not robbing the cradle over here with your short ass.”

“Ha, ha, so not fuckin funny,” Emilio grumbled with an eyeroll. He may be short but he didn’t look like a freaking child.

Did he?

No, no, he didn’t think so.

He’d have to ask his sisters.

“My ass is turning seventeen in January but unlike the rest of me, because it doesn’t see the sun, it looks a thousand years younger.”

Whistling nice and loud, Marcus replied “Can’t wait to see it.”

Emilio rested his head on his knees, closed his eyes, and groaned as heat filled his cheeks. God, he sucked at the flirting game. And the guys he found seemed to always know how to make him blush to the most extreme levels. “You know, I get all into the flirting mood and whatever and yet somehow you always one up me to like fucking Pluto. Flirting does not have to go to the levels of nakedness and sex. Just saying.”

“All I said is that I can’t wait to see your ass. Never said under what circumstances I am seeing said ass.”

Rolling his eyes, Emilio muttered “Oh please. I know what you were hinting.” What the hell other kind of circumstances were there anyways? “And what’s your excuse for biting me?”

Eyes sparkling with laughter, Marcus said “Maybe I’m a werewolf, or a vampire, or…a cannibal…”

Uhuh. “Or you bite during sex.”

“Well, yeah. Before and after too. You’ve been warned.”

He’d been warned. Wow. Shaking his head and feeling another rise of confidence because he suddenly realized the reason Marcus was here and incredibly flirty, Emilio smiled so huge that his face hurt as he asked “I’ve impressed you already, haven’t I?”

The boy beside him raised his brow, his face carefully guarded like Emilio wasn’t supposed to figure that out already. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you keep talking like I have. Detective instinct, my blacker than black friend.”

“Pft,” Marcus muttered, rolling his eyes, “Someone’s a bit overly confident, isn’t he? I’m not just magically impressed with you. You gotta work for it, sweetheart.”

Emilio turned to face Marcus and scooted just that much closer. “I already got it, _sweetheart_. I won you over already. Because I’m so badass, you know?”

Marcus was silent as he swallowed and watched Emilio closely. It's like he was waiting to see what Emilio was going to do. And Emilio knew what he was going to do. Because upstairs, Marcus had said go big or go home.

Well, this was him going big. Hopefully, it wasn’t the wrong decision.

Steadying his furiously beating heart while pushing aside the part of him that was wondering why he was always the one who had to take the first step, Emilio leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to Marcus’, letting his eyes flutter shut as he did. It was simple and chaste, much like he had done with Joseph, as he wanted to let Marcus make the choice of what was going to happen here. Emilio had made the leap, now Marcus had to catch him.

And catch he did.

Softly wrapping a hand on the back of Emilio’s neck, Marcus pulled him closer as he opened his mouth and sought to deepen the kiss. Emilio sure as hell had no objections as he opened his own mouth, his heart beating so hard and fast from the rush of delight and arousal that he felt like it’d just explode out of his chest right this second. The kiss was everything; beautiful, amazing, heart stopping.

Everything and more.

Air was, of course, eventually required, with Marcus pulling away first but not far, only an inch separating them from each other. His eyes were sparkling, his pupils huge with arousal, as he ran his gaze over Emilio’s face and murmured “Okay, so maybe you already won me over.” Running his tongue along his lower lip, Marcus added “One hell of a kisser, badass.”

He had no shame in admitting that Joseph was one hell of a teacher in that department. With a smirk of triumph, Emilio turned back to look at the street as he stretched himself over the steps. A stair in his back was painful as hell but he was too hocked up on sexy adrenaline to care. “You’re not too shabby yourself,” he laughed, rubbing thumb on what felt to be swollen lips.

“I’m not too shabby?” Marcus snorted indignantly, crossing his arms, “You’re such an asshole. I’m a way better kisser than you. Your technique needs work.”

“Bullshit. You already said I’m a hell of a kisser. Can’t take it back now. Much too late for that.”

Marcus snorted in amusement as he shook his head and copied the way that Emilio was sitting, a huge smile on his face. They spent their afternoon that way; laughing and talking, just enjoying one another’s company. They didn’t kiss again but Emilio could feel the change of the air around them. It was like electricity between them, the spark having been lit and ready to evolve into more.

Emilio knew what the spark would become. He’d experienced it before with Joseph.

Love.

And, well, Emilio felt like he was ready for it now. He’d found the happiness that Joseph had asked him to search for and Emilio knew that wherever his friend was, he’d be happy for Emilio.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> En  
> joy  
> Bwa  
> ha
> 
> _“If I was gay, I’d totally steal him from you. Such a sweetheart.”_

“Don’t forget that you’re walking Alondra to school today, mijo!” his mother called out from wherever she was in the house. Sounded like her room from how close her voice was.

Freezing in the middle of buttoning his jeans which had gotten a little lose with his loss of weight because eating after a beating hurt like fuck, Emilio laughed nervously to himself. Yeah, he totally didn’t forget about that. “I know! Duh!”

He reminded himself that one of these days, he really just needed to close his door when he changed as his mother stuck her head in. It was just that his room had this little part of wall that you had to pass before you could actually see into the room and when it was just pants or a shirt, Emilio didn’t think it was worth shutting the door. “Tell someone who believes you, yes? Hurry up or you’ll be late on your first day back.”

Emilio popped the button into the hole before slipping on his Vans. “I’m beating up Tanner today, remember? Doesn’t matter if I’m late or not because I’m going to get in trouble anyways.”

With a sigh of resignation, his mother took a seat on his bed, smoothing out some wrinkles that he had missed. “Mijo-”

“Sorry, but no,” Emilio interrupted as he grabbed the Yankees cap off the edge of his mirror before he decided that he should fix his hair a little and then put in on. “I’m not letting it go. No one is going to insult me and get away with it. I’m not ashamed and I’m not going to let people think that I am. If I don’t go back for him, he’ll think that he won.” Running his fingers through his hair as he adjusted it in the mirror and then topping it off with Joseph’s hat, Emilio murmured “Can’t have him thinking that.”

His mother sighed again but didn’t fight the inevitable. “Just please win and don’t end up in the hospital. Save me the heartache and attack, Emilio. I’d appreciate it.”

Laughing as he shook his head and grabbed his bag, he snorted “No, mama, no hospital this time. I’m going to kick some homophobic ass, gurl.”

Shaking her head at his stupidity as she stood and walked out, she replied “Lord help me from Vidal children.”

“Hey, hey!” he called disapprovingly as he grabbed his phone and dashed out his door to meet her at the front. “Those Vidal children are yours, chica. And don’t act like you’re all innocent.”

“The sad part is, the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done in my life besides chasing down my five children is getting with your father. I’m not risk-taking material, mijo. Your guys’ stupidity comes from papa’s side, not mine.”

“Such a burn,” Emilio laughed before he called for Alondra to hurry up, “I’m so telling papa on you.”

“Oh please,” his mother snorted with an eyeroll. “It’s not like I’m wrong.” Softly cupping his cheeks, she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his head. “Be careful, mijo. I want you in one piece.”

“Mi amor, I’ll be fine.” He laughed when she cuffed him behind the ear. “Seriously though, I’m only taking Tanner. Marcus won’t let anyone jump in. One on one, that’s it.” Eye catching on the clock on the wall, Emilio called again. “Alondra, let’s go, girl!”

“Coming!” she shouted as she ran over in a dash of color. She was literally a color bomb exploded in her yellow capris, blue shirt, purple shoes, and red backpack. That was style confidence right the fuck there. “I’m here! And ready!”

“Got your lunch?”

“Yessir,” she saluted all stoic like. “All set and ready, captain.”

“Awesome, awesome, my sailor,” he replied before he kissed his mom on her check and opened the door. “Then let’s get moooving! Off we go, my dear.”

“Have good days, both of you!” his mother called out the door before she shut it. Emilio was sure that she couldn’t be happier at having the house empty to herself. And who could blame her? Vidal children were a handful.

Once they reached Alondra’s school, Emilio wished her a good day and sent her off, only for the colorful bundle to come running back, slamming into him to give him a hug. “What?”

“Make sure you beat him up without him beating you,” she murmured into his chest, practically his height. Goddamn, everyone and their genes. How the fuck did he get stuck at 5’ 2’’? And a fucking half? “I don’t want you back in the hospital.”

Feeling a sudden rush of intense love and warmth for the color bomb, Emilio hugged his sister tight and said “Promise I’ll kick his ugly ass. Now off you go before you make us both late.”

“Love you!” Alondra shouted as she ran off. Emilio stayed put until the colorful girl had entered the building and then went on his way. He walked a little faster than usual just to make sure that he really didn’t end up late like a fool.

Honestly, the only thing he was worried about the fight today was that he’d break his promise. He just couldn’t have that. No way. Emilio was gonna kick some serious ass today no matter what. Marcus had told him that the best time would be at lunch, so Emilio was going for that. When the end of fourth period bell rang, he had to admit that he was a bundle of nerves. But he wouldn’t let himself think of what would happen if things went bad because things wouldn’t go bad.

No fucking way.

Walking out into the quad, he gazed over at the typical ‘athlete/popular’ table and caught eyes with Marcus. Sexy, sexy eyes that guy. Yum. Marcus gave him the tiniest nod in the world to let Emilio know that Tanner was already there.

Oh-kay. He could do this. “Let’s go, Emilio, let’s go,” he quietly cheered to himself – yes, he knew that it was dorky – as he loosened his shoulders as he walked over. “I’m so gonna kick some ugly ass.”

Nobody really noticed him as he walked near the table, although he took the time to look over who was there. Just the typical athletes, it seemed. They were kind of familiar faces because he was sure he had classes with a few and had seen others around. Placing his bag down at the edge of the group, Emilio walked to where a carrot head with a dark one were sitting.

Oh.

Well, this was a development that he had no knowledge of. No one had told him that his ex was…dating? the ass who beat him up. Things were going to get awkward with Victoria here. Oh well, awkward always made for interesting, didn’t it?

His ex was the first to really notice him as she slid out of Tanner’s lap. Even though they had parted on good terms, she didn’t look very happy to see him. “Hey, Emilio.”

Once his name was out in the open, suddenly he was on everyone’s radars with Tanner having a nasty smug look on his face. “Well, hello, faggy! Look who’s out of the hospital!”

Emilio wasn’t going to rise to the bait. “Victoria, Tanner. Thank you for welcoming me back. That’s unimaginably kind of you guys.”

Crossing her arms angrily, Victoria sans glasses – weird that – snapped “How could you use me?”

Bewildered at her question, Emilio said slowly “Use…you?” What was that even supposed to mean?

“You’re a fag. Why the hell did you go out with me? You’re such a gross ass.”

Wow…that…Emilio just couldn’t believe what he was hearing because he knew for a fact that this was not the girl he had gone out with. At all. Not even fucking close. But he wasn’t going to let this unpleasant surprise throw him off his game. “I didn’t use you and don’t call me that. I’m _bi_. I don’t know if any of you idiots know what that means, but let me help you guys out with a little lesson. It means I like girls and guys, meaning that I didn’t use you and I actually did like you.”

“Oh please.”

“Maybe,” he couldn’t help but say in an ounce of frustration because this was hardly fair, “everyone should stop assuming every God fucking person is straight. I may not have mentioned that I was bi, but that doesn’t make it any less true, thank you.” Gesturing up and down her body, he added “And congrats on joining a group of hateful people. I thought better of you. I _know_ you’re better than that.” Victoria opened her mouth but he was done. Emilio had other business to attend to. Pointing at Tanner, he said “I have business with…”

“My boyfriend. A real man.”

“Maybe you should redefine real man,” Emilio snorted with an eyeroll.

Tanner rose to his feet and, yeah, okay, Emilio was feeling a little intimidated at the bulk and height of this boy. But he wasn’t going to let that scare him off. “Business, runt?”

He resented that but now wasn’t the time. “Yeah, business. I’m going to beat the shit out of you.”

Not just the quarterback laughed at. _Everyone_ did and that kind of hurt. Emilio knew that he didn’t look like much but he could fight. He could do this. “You’re going to beat the shit out of me? Your sorry little faggy ass?”

“My sorry little _bisexual_ ass. One on one, you and me.” A little voice in his head was praying that Marcus would keep his word and keep it that way. If he didn’t, Emilio was so fucked.

Carrottop laughed again. “Someone’s confident although I’ve no idea why. But you know what? I’ll reward that confidence. Just you and me and the boys will stop it when they feel it’s good. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “sounds perfect.” Taking off his hat, he placed it on the table and emptied his pockets as Tanner did the same. Emilio was ready for this. His father had spent last night giving him _pointers_. He had no intention of letting that advice go to waste.

_“He’s taller?”_

_“Everyone’s taller, papi,” Emilio laughed where he lay on his parents’ bed beside his father, the pair of them staring up at the ceiling._

_“Significantly taller?”_

_“Waaaay. Pretty muscled too.” Emilio stamped down that little ounce of fear that wanted to rise like bile in his throat._

_His father hummed as he nodded and then he murmured “You’re going to use that height to your advantage then. He probably just throws his weight around.”_

_“Okay, so how do I do that?”_

_“Get in close. Don’t be afraid to get as close as you can. If he doesn’t know how to use that height, he’s going to be off balance from trying to hit you but your best bet is getting close.”_

_“Because then technically he’s above so his hits will be awkward?”_

_“Right. And these are a must, papi. Don’t grab him and don’t let him grab you. Also, take the first swing; that’ll give you the upper hand. Don’t go for the jaw. While it’ll hurt him, he’s bigger so he’ll take the pain pretty easily.”_

_“Throat or nose. Got it.”_

_“Exactly; those will incapacitate him quickly. Also, his dick is a great spot to hit too.”_

_Laughing, Emilio said “Yes, yes. Of course.”_

_Sitting up, his father stared down at him, something like pride in his eyes and, man, did that make Emilio feel really good. “Just be careful, mijo.”_

_Saluting, Emilio laughed “Sir, yes, sir.”_

They stared at each other a minute before Emilio suddenly advanced. Tanner kept backing up, probably hoping to find himself a better angle and get Emilio first, but Emilio wasn’t going to let him just back away to get that opportunity. He got in quick and close and slammed a fist to Tanner’s throat as hard as he could. The quarterback started choking and gasping for air as he clutched his neck in pain. From there, Emilio slammed his knee to Tanner’s groin which made him drop like a ton.

Winner! Ding ding!

“I think I’m going to make that horrid face of yours even uglier,” Emilio smirked as he straddled Tanner’s chest. “Sorry in advance, bitch.” He slammed his fist over and over and over again in Tanner’s face. Stopping wasn’t something he wanted to do and he had no intention of doing anytime soon. Tanner needed some serious redecorating.

“Stop! Emilio, stop!” Victoria cried hysterically. “Please!”

He paused for a minute and looked down at the lovey work he had done. Tanner's face was black and blue and bloody. Gorgeous. Sure, his fist was throbbing a bit and he’d probably end up with his own bruises on his knuckles but it was definitely worth it.

Emilio's work looked stunning but… “I don’t know…” he trailed, “His face could use a bit more work.” He slammed one more punch into the jackass’ nose and stood, looking down at him. “Much better.” Tanner groaned in pain as everyone was silent, taking in the fact that the short little faggot Puerto Rican had just beaten the shit out of their quarterback. Ha. Or better yet, the _Dominican_. Damn, he needed to make sure he corrected that.

“One more thing,” Emilio murmured as he jammed his foot down on Tanner’s dick, grinding hard. He got a screech of pain in reply with Tanner cupping himself once Emilio removed his foot. “Okay, now I’m mildly satisfied.”

Walking back to the bench, the heat of everyone staring at him heavy as fuck, Emilio put his snapback back on and returned his things to his pockets. Victoria and another football player helped Tanner to his feet and held him up because the dude was too unsteady to do it himself.

Oh fucking yeah, bitch.

Looking to everyone around the table – it wasn’t just athletes and popular kids anymore – Emilio decided that he should give a good speech for all the homophobic ears in the crowd. “No one will _ever_ make me feel ashamed for being who I am. I love girls and I love guys. I’ve had a girlfriend,” he gestured to Victoria, “And I had a boyfriend before her. I see everyone’s beauty and none of you will ever make me change myself because you think it’s gross or wrong. I’m bisexual and I sure as hell am proud of it.”

Emilio grabbed his backpack and put it on. “And if any of you have a problem with that, I’ll make your face look like his,” he pointed over at Tanner who was barely sitting on the bench. “I’ll also make you look like that if I hear that you hated on or hurt someone who’s gay, bi, lesbian, trans, or whatever. There isn’t a single one of you who has the right to judge someone for who they love or who they are.”

Turning his hat backwards, he flipped them off and began to walk away, saying as he did “Fuck all of you and have a wonderful day!”

 

* * *

 

Marcus stared at the retreating form of the badass that he was so gone for that it was insane. He didn’t ever think he could be so in love with someone before. He had loved his ex, Marcus had adored her above everyone, but holy shit…

Emilio was just something else. Something that he wanted so very bad.

The day they had kissed was one of the best moments ever. Marcus didn’t want to rush Emilio because he could see how much pain he was still in from losing Joseph. He couldn’t have been more happy when Emilio decided to bridge the gap between the pair of them.

He’d see that the Puerto Rican badass would never regret it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoyyyyy
> 
> _"Join your piece of shit buddy who wants to act like I’m a fucking nobody except when it’s convenient for him."_

With beating up Tanner came a small amount of school grounds notoriety. Honestly, Emilio could seriously do without it being that his fame was ‘that fag who beat Lindsey.’ Why couldn’t he just go back to being a simple no one with a couple friends?

Well, because he was stupid and earned himself the attention of some of the most popular people at school. Fucking duh.

But that had some positivity to it, didn’t it?

Because he had Marcus now.

Yum.

Suspension had removed him from school for a week – the principal did not at all approve of his sudden problems – but it sure didn’t remove him from seeing the sexy bastard he fancied. Because Marcus had given him an address.

His _home_ address.

Bam.

Okay, so Emilio was seriously overselling himself because he was nervous as fuck. He was actually quite literally on the verge of freaking out at the moment. And really, he’d been freaking out for the past few days since Marcus invited him to play basketball with him and a couple of other dudes. Emilio could shoot and he could even play pretty well; he was proud of his marginally better than decent basketball skills.

But short people just didn’t do basketball.

Stepping off the bus, Emilio’s nerves buzzed like a madman’s as he glanced at the public housing project community that Marcus lived at. He skipped the current song singing in his ear because while Rihanna was banging as fuck, Emilio didn’t feel like making her feel like the only girl in the world as he walked to the projects in the distance. The closest the bus got was about a block and a half away so Emilio’s trip wasn’t done yet. As he neared the gates, he glanced up at the buildings that looked decent enough on the outside but God only knew how they were on the inside. There were three buildings, one to the left, one on the right, and one in the back facing the street.

Walking through the gates and gazing around the blacktop in the center of the buildings that had benches and a couple basketball hoops, Emilio’s eyes caught on Marcus standing at a bench where three other guys sat. Dear Lord, all of them were fucking _tall._ Two of them looked average height but everyone knew that that was taller than Emilio ever would be.

Marcus looked up from where he was talking to one of the guys and caught sight of Emilio. A huge grin broke on his face and, goddamn, did that make Emilio feel good. “Finally!” he called with a wave, “Took you forever!”

Jogging the last distance to them, Emilio nodded to the guys sitting, all who looked moderately familiar, and snorted “Yeah, there’s this thing called public transportation and that bastard doesn’t rush for no one.”

“Ain’t that the damn truth,” one guy with a smattering of freckles all over him laughed, his dark green eyes sparkling as he did. “One day I’m going to buy me a super slick car and then I don’t gotta worry about that shit anymore.”

“I wouldn’t care if it was the shittiest car in the world, as long as it ran, of course. I just want to have that satisfying feeling of buying one.”

One of the other guys who Emilio felt like he might have had a class with last year spoke up as he rubbed his exposed arms. It was appropriate muscle shirt weather; Emilio should’ve worn one himself. “The other day, Juan came driving up in the sickest Charger I’ve ever seen, guys. Lemme check it out too.”

“Sean, why the fuck you talking to him?” Marcus said with disdain as he shook his head, “The guy’s just gonna get you into a lot of bad shit.”

Sean looked at Marcus like he was an idiot. “Uh, because he had a Charger?”

“That he probably jacked,” Freckle guy laughed as he sat atop the tabletop with a boy wearing a cap backwards. “Feel bad for whoever he stole it from. You know what I’d love? A fucking Lambo, dude. Black and sleek as fuck.”

Memories assaulted Emilio, barraging his brain with Joseph and Mr. Kavinsky and better days. Mr. Kavinsky had taken him and Joseph out that day in one of his Lamborghinis along a stretch of highway that was shockingly empty, driving at more than 100 miles per hour. It had been both terrifying and exhilarating. Mostly kind a sorta terrifying but still cool as hell. How did someone even keep control of a car going that fast? How many cars had been ruined for practice? Had to be at least a few if not more.

“Those are sick as hell,” Emilio agreed with a nod. “And when you’re flying at hundreds of miles per hour, you watch your life flash before your eyes with vivid imagery. Scarier than you’d think, actually.”

They all stared at him like he was insane before they shared a look between each other. Finally, the boy in the red snapback with a crooked nose asked “You, uh, own a Lambo or something? Coulda sworn I heard something about the bus a few minutes ago.”

“Huh?” Emilio replied in confusion before he took a minute to think. “Oh! You think,” he laughed and shook his head, “Guys, I’m broke as hell. Promise. No hidden exotics around me.”

“But you’ve ridden in a Lamborghini?” Marcus asked in amazement.

And here he was about to give more of him and Joseph away. Was this healing? The ability to just…chat like everything is fine and well? “Uh, so…Joseph?” Marcus nodded in recognition and a look of ‘duh, I know who the fuck that is,’ “Yeah, so, his family is super rich and his dad has warehouses of cars. Used to be one, then two, and who knows, maybe it’s three now. He’s got exotics and classics and rarities and everything and anything. He used to take us out in some of them.”

“Are there people that rich in this shit city?” Snapback asked in awe and disbelief. A look that was literally mirrored on everyone’s faces. “The fuck? I live on the wrong side of town, man.”

“I don’t know if anyone’s as rich as Mr. Kavinsky,” Mr. Yulian, maybe? Who knew? “But I imagine there’s a lot of wealthy people. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the richest around here.”

“Your buddy give out freebies?” Freckles asked with a bit of hope in his voice like he was actually going to get a new car anytime soon. “Put our names in the hat. We need all the freebies we can get.”

Freckles caught an elbow in his gut as Sean laughed “Make sure you put me in before Jax. I’m more needy.”

“Fuck you, my dad works three jobs to take care of me and him.”

“Yeah, and both my parents work to support me and my four siblings. Me first.”

“Pft,” Jax snorted as he shoved Sean in response to the elbow from before, “No one told your parents to keep popping babies.”

Snapback was shaking his head at them in disappointment before he focused on Emilio. “Ignore them, they’re stupid ass fuckers. Put my name first. Ricardo José Mateo Herrero Iglesias.”

Emilio laughed while feeling a bit more confident about meeting these guys. He could do this. “Sorry, I don’t exactly talk to them anymore.”

“Damn,” Marcus said with an ‘angry’ snap of his fingers, “and here I thought I was going to get a car. For fucking free too.”

“Yeah, no. But if I ever end up super rich, I’ll buy you each a car.” Ha, as if that’d ever happen. Him, Emilio Vidal, rich? Working as a cop? Yeah, in his fucking dreams.

Sean whistled, a huge smile on his face. “Oh man, Marcus. Man. If I was gay, I’d totally steal him from you. Such a sweetheart. Adorable.”

Marcus merely rolled his eyes but Emilio stared at Sean in surprise. So they knew already? And they were cool with it? Despite how stupid it sounded, Emilio had personally met so few ‘allies’ that when he found someone who didn’t care, it amazed him. “Wait, what?”

Jax had a superior smirk on his face like he figured out the greatest secret in the world. “The minute Marcus started zoning out on us, we knew someone was in his sights. Then he tells us we’re playing ball with this badass he met at school. We start putting the puzzle together. We’re smarter than we look, especially Richi who looks like a fucking dumbass.”

“Fuck you,” Ricardo apparently Richi laughed. “Guess you haven’t looked in the mirror recently.”

“So…” Emilio trailed, “it doesn’t bother you guys?”

“Nah, man,” Richi shrugged without a care while playing with the rosary around his neck, “Marcus wants to like dick? Then he can like dick. You wanna? Then you can. Everyone can like whatever they want.” He paused and gave Emilio a once over with a raised brow, “Although…you’re pretty small. Marcus is pretty big. I don’t know if you gonna be handling him easily-”

“Oh my god,” he groaned, covering his heating face. The guys starting laughing at him as he muttered “Do any of you know to not make sex jokes? Come on, people…”

He couldn’t lie and say that his heart didn’t give a little fluttery jump in seeing Marcus blushing from his friends’ words. “When we get to that point, we’ll figure it out.”

Jax laughed as he bounced to his feet, yanking the ball from Richi’s hands. “Alright, so, I got badass on my team but because he’s short as fuck, we get Sean too.” Emilio rolled his eyes but settled for saying nothing. Jax smirked over at Marcus, “You don’t mind me claiming your boy, do you?”

“You’re an idiot,” Marcus muttered, slapping the ball out of Jax’s hands and taking it for himself. Nodding to Richi he said “Get your lazy ass up, we got some ass to kick.” 

 

* * *

 

Raul leaned on the gate of the projects, watching the boys playing basketball. Surprisingly, Emilio was actually doing pretty well for himself between people who were taller than him. But as his son so often put it, _everyone_ was taller.

What the hell had happened to Emilio’s genes, Raul had no idea. No one, not even Raul’s mother, was short on his side and short wasn’t even a word in Claudia’s family.

Poor Emilio.

Emilio hadn’t noticed Raul standing yet and he preferred it that way. Everyone wanted the opportunity to observe without notice and he was curious to see how his son was in the ‘outside world.’ A smile grew on his face as Emilio stole the ball from a boy in a red hat. What surprised him though was when instead of passing, Emilio decided to try a shot from half court.

What was even more shocking was when the ball actually went into the hoop. It must have been shocking for everyone, even Emilio, because all the boys froze and stared at the basket as the ball bounced away.

“Hoe-leeeeee SHIT!” a boy in deep purple shirt and a buzz cut shouted after a moment of silence had passed. He shoved Emilio in his glee, practically toppling over the smaller boy. “What the fuck, badass? That was awesome!”

His son’s back was to him but he could easily imagine the happy amazement on his face as Emilio rubbed a hand on his hat and laughed “I can’t believe I actually made that! Holy shit!”

“Motherfucker,” Raul cursed quietly under his breath at Ivo. No matter how much he’d tried over the past year and a half to curb Emilio’s language, it wasn’t working. Raul had pretty much given up although Claudia just seemed to try even harder. He knew she wanted to prove a point but something told Raul that her point wasn’t going to win anytime soon.

A boy in a muscle shirt smirked and slung an arm around Marcus’ shoulders. “You gonna kiss your boy for how proud you are? Because I just might if you won’t. Gotta praise him, man.”

Raul wondered if he had been as stupid sounding in his youth. Hell, he had to have been worse. He watched Marcus shove his buddy off and reply “Touch him and I’ll kick your ass.”

“Touch me,” Emilio said as he tied his shoe, “and _I’ll_ kick your ass.”

The boy in purple stood over Emilio and shoved his hands into the pockets of his basketball shorts. “I saw what you did to Tanner, man. He looked like a pile of shit. What you did was niiiice.”

Yeah, he totally agreed. Tanner had been a mess and Raul couldn’t have been prouder. He didn’t appreciate Emilio getting in trouble but it had been worth it. Tanner deserved what had come for him.

Emilio laughed and turned around, walking backwards towards Marcus. “Thank you. Fucker got what he deserved.” Raul smirked when their gazes caught. Looked like the gig was up. Smiling wide and waving, Emilio called “Did you see that shot, papi!”

Walking over to them, Raul replied “I did and it was amazing. Sadly, I didn’t think you had it in you, mijo.”

“None of us thought I had it in me,” Emilio laughed.

“For sure,” the boy in the hat said with a smirk, holding out his hand in greeting. “Richi, sir.”

“Nice to meet you,” he replied, taking the hand before being introduced to purple shirt Jax and muscle shirt Sean. Smiling at Marcus, Raul asked “How are you?”

“Good, sir, and you?”

“Alive,” Raul answered because there was always that at least. Pointing at the ball now in Marcus’ hands, he asked “Mind if I give it a try?”

Marcus shrugged and handed him the ball. Walking to half court, Raul looked over at his goal while thinking that he just got himself into a moment of embarrassment. No way he was going to make that. But…if short ass Emilio could…Raul at least had a chance.

Or, at least, he hoped so. He hadn’t done this in years.

Emilio raised a brow at him as he stood and watched, arms crossed across chest. “Uh…I don’t want to hurt your feelings and all but…Papi? You should probably get closer. Basketball isn’t your thing.”

“I’m aware, thank you. But if you can pull it off, I like my chances here.”

“Oooh! Burn!” Jax laughed.

His son rolled his eyes and muttered “I hope you miss, dear father mine.”

“Don’t get nasty on me,” he laughed as he dribbled a few times, trying to calculate his distance.

“You play sports, Mr. Vidal?” Richi asked, standing beside Emilio while fiddling with his necklace.

Complicated question because technically yes when he had bothered to go to school. “I was on the soccer team in both junior and high school. One of the best.”

Again, when he had bothered to show.

Richi shook his head in mock disappointment. “Why you gotta play into the Latino stereotype?”

“You’re going to tell me that your Hispanic ass doesn’t play fútbol?”

The boy blushed as his friends laughed. “You should see him on game nights, Mr. Vidal,” Marcus snorted, “He literally tried to beat my ass for changing the channel.”

Glaring at the taller boy, Richi muttered “The score was tied and it was the last few minutes, ass.”

“So?” Emilio asked, probably dying for Raul to fail, “you gonna give it a try or what?”

Nodding and taking a breath before aiming, Raul thought about his shot for one more moment before going for it.

And sadly, very sadly, not making it. But hey, he hit the rim at least.

Emilio jumped in delight. “Yes!” He looked at Raul then said sheepishly “So sorry you didn’t make it, papa. Better luck next time.”

Rolling his eyes, he walked to his son and put him in a headlock. “Why thank you, mijo. You’re too kind.”

Laughing, Emilio shoved Raul off and turned to his friends. “Alright, I’ll see you guys later.”

“Take it easy, my man,” Jax said, fist bumping with Emilio.

Richi turned to Marcus. “Do you want us to give you two a minute?”

Marcus stared at Richi, unamused. “Do you want me to break your face?”

“Aye, man, you ain’t gotta be shy about showing love to your bae. It’s cool with us,” Sean laughed.

Shaking his head, Marcus said something Raul didn’t catch before he yanked Emilio into a kiss. Emilio had told him about the time Marcus had come over and they had kissed but he had told Raul that they weren’t going to rush a relationship because he wasn’t ready yet. Raul wondered if that had changed since they had last talked.

The boys whistled as the kiss deepened and Raul suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. His son’s private life was that – his private life. He really didn’t care for a front row seat. After a minute, Raul said “Whenever you two are finished…”

Breaking apart, Emilio’s face was fully flushed with a goofy smile on it while Marcus was trying to act all stoic. Clearing his throat, Marcus muttered “I’ll, uh, see you later, Emilio.”

“I’ll see you later, Emilio,” Richi mocked only to be doubled over coughing a minute later when Marcus punched him.

Emilio shook his head, happiness sparkling in his eyes as he said his last goodbyes to everyone. Walking to the car together, Emilio said “I’m surprised you’re here, by the way.”

Unlocking and getting into the car, Raul replied “Was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d save you the walk and bus trip.”

“Ah, thank you.” Buckling up, Emilio said “We’re not together. I’d tell you when it happens.”

Raul shrugged and said “It’s fine. Whenever you are ready to be in another relationship, then go for it. I like Marcus; he’s a good kid. But there’s never a rush.”

“Yeah, that’s what me and Marcus said. I’m just not entirely ready yet, you know? Like I want Marcus but I’m not ready to get the whole emotional weight of another relationship yet.”

“Take your time, mijo. I just want to see you happy again.”

A small smile came onto Emilio’s face. A beautiful smile that Raul hadn’t seen in a long while. Thank God it was coming back. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long while. Thinking about Joseph lately doesn’t bring pain. I think about the good stuff. The laughs, the love. I think he’d really like Marcus if he met him.”

His thoughts turned to Joseph and his hopes that he was doing okay. “I think he’d like him too.”

Adjusting Joseph’s hat on his head, Emilio murmured “You think he’s doing okay?”

Oh boy. “Do…you want the truth or for me to lie?”

Emilio shook his head as his face fell, resting his head against the window as they drove home. “Neither. I can fill in my own blanks.”

“Mijo-”

“Forget it, papa. I got it. Just keep him in your prayers. Just because he’s a fucking asshole who doesn’t call doesn’t mean we gotta be a pair of them too.”

Well, Raul couldn’t find a way to argue with that.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Keep enjoyinggggg
> 
> _“If you guys knew I was fucking up, why the fuck didn’t you say anything?”_

"What the fucking fucks..." Emilio groaned in frustration. This year of school had it out for him; that had been apparent the minute he had crashed into Marcus. It was one of those years that they made television shows about. Loads and loads of drama and shit with rivals.

His locker?

One of his rivals. This bitch always had it out for him. Always refusing to just fucking open.

Groaning again when the first bell rang for the start of third period, Emilio tried the lock once more and slammed his locker when it still wouldn’t open. It wasn’t like the combination was wrong, goddammit. What in the hell was its problem? "I hate you," he muttered while resting head against the offensive locker. “So hate you, bitch.”

“Never took you as the hater type, badass. Or a whiner for that matter.”

Emilio turned his head slowly and glared at Jax who had just come around the corner with a huge smile on his face. Typical. “Aren’t you late for class?”

It wasn’t that he’d never had any friends besides Joseph, Emilio had actually had lots of them, but none had ever been as all-encompassing as his trouble twin had been. And since then, while Emilio had always been that friendly sort of sociable guy, he’d never quite made another one like that. Sure, he had school friends who enjoyed hanging out with, sometimes even after school, but none had ever reached the level of Joseph. Emilio was obviously to blame for that, he could be honest, but it’d just always been too difficult to _want_ to have friends like that again.

Besides for now.

With ‘being’ with Marcus – they still weren’t a thing yet – came making new friends. And he had to admit that he loved having good friends again and was happy that he’d found good people in Jax, Sean, and Richi.

In all honesty, he really had missed having good friends.

“Aren’t you?” Jax laughed as he came to a halt beside Emilio and his stupid locker. “I believe the first-” the second bell cut off Jax’s words before he could even finish, causing him to laugh again. “I believe the _second_ bell rang,” he corrected with a cheeky grin.

Letting out a groan because he was so not mentally up for this, Emilio replied “Don’t make me ruin your pretty face.”

“Aw, shit! You think I’m pretty?” Jax snorted in amusement as he fluttered his eyelashes as well as he could. Which was to say, not as well as he thought he could. “I always wanted to make Marcus jealous about something.”

Shaking his head once he straightened off the lockers, Emilio said matter of factly “You’re pretty but not sexy the way Marcus is. Sorry.”

Jax shrugged because it seemed to be no biggie to him, his huge smile still sitting there on his freckled face. He fell silent for a minute as the smile dropped off which mean that, as Emilio had come to learn in the past couple weeks, he was in deep thinking mode. Nothing else erased Jax’s smile unless it was drastic. Emilio didn’t mind waiting him out; they were already late anyways.

“How…” Jax finally murmured, his face deep in thought as he thought about how to phrase whatever it was that he wanted to say, “How did…how did you know that you like guys? Like, how did you figure out that you were attracted and not just, like, thinking they were looking sharp that day, you know?”

Thinking on it for a moment but realizing that, really, he didn’t have a good proper answer, Emilio replied with a shrug “I wish a had a good answer for you but I guess I just realized that I liked looking at the boys in my class just as much as the girls.”

“That’s it?” Jax exclaimed in surprise, almost scandalized because how could it be that simple?

Well, Emilio knew that for a lot of people, it sure as hell wasn’t that simple.

“That’s it,” Emilio nodded,” Nothing really special for me.”

“Huh…” Jax murmured while brushing his thumb across his lower lip in thought. “Interesting…”

“So…what’s with the question?”

Looking a mixture of both thoughtful and nervous, Jax glanced around them before he scooted in closer and said quietly “Between you and me?”

“Yeah, sure.” They were getting heavy apparently.

Rubbing his buzzed head nervously, Jax whispered “I’ve, uh, been, like thinking and shit…and…yeah…”

That was so helpful. Like wow, really, amazing way with words this guy. “Jax, it’s really wonderful that you’ve been thinking but that’s hardly monumental.”

With a laugh and looking a little more at ease, Jax took a deep breath before he blurted “I think I might be what you are.”

Figuring from both the questions and the way that Jax’s eyes went wide after the confession, Emilio guessed that he wasn’t talking about finally finding out what type of Latino he was mixed with. Jax had no memory of his mother who left him with his father after two months. “Bisexual?”

Nodding his head hesitantly, Jax murmured “Yeah…maybe. I don’t know, it’s a whole load of confusing shit.”

“Confusing is normal.”

“Yeah but you’re not. Marcus ain’t either.”

He couldn’t speak for Marcus because not only was his sexuality different but everyone’s ‘coming out’ experience differed. “I was confused at first. I think everyone is until they find their footing and who they are. Comes with the territory, I guess.”

Sighing deeply and leaning up on the lockers, Jax muttered “I should just stick to liking girls.”

“Then, my dude, you will be missing out, lemme tell you,” Emilio laughed as he decided to give his locker one more shot. They were so lucky that no one had caught them just lazing in the hall yet. “Big time.” Spinning back to the last number, Emilio tried his locker. “Oh, bitch,” he muttered as he pulled harder. Maybe if he just-

_Slam_

“Fuck my life,” Emilio groaned as he held his cheek and mouth in pain. He could tell Jax was trying really hard not to laugh for his sake which was nice and all but Emilio couldn’t find it in himself to appreciate it right now. “Mhmmhmm,” he hummed in minor agony. God, just the thought of opening his mouth right now made him want to cry.

Choking on his laugh and finally exploding it out, Jax tried to act all stoic as he asked “You, uh, need some ice or something?”

It’d be a nice gesture if there wasn’t a huge ass smirk on the jackass’ face. Keeping his hand in place because it mentally helped the pain, Emilio muttered without opening his mouth too much “Fuck you.”

“God, I wish I recorded that!” Jax snorted in a fit of laughter. “You should’ve seen it!”

Carefully stretching his mouth and rubbing his cheek which was probably going to bruise, Emilio replied sullenly “I was there, thanks.”

“S-Sorry,” Jax tried to say through his laughs. “I swear.” Clearing his throat, he added “Nurse?”

“No,” Emilio said as he pulled out the stupid folder that he had needed all along. Pain seared through his face every time he spoke. Hopefully it didn’t look too bad. Of course he’d be the stupid ass to suffer from such a freak accident. “Back to the point before we were rudely interrupted, do you find yourself attracted to guys?”

“Well, I dunno,” Jax said with a shrug, “But you and Marcus kissed the other day and that was pretty hot. Like, gave me flutters in my chest and whatever. Does that count?”

Emilio wasn’t sure if he was flattered or slightly disturbed. “Uh…I guess it could?”

“Well, how about you just kiss me and then if I get tingly in certain regions…we’ve got an answer.”

“You’re…serious…” Yeah, Jax looked seriously serious right now. “Uh…how about we just stick to a scale? Check out a couple dudes at lunch from afar and we’ll try to see what you like?” It wasn’t that Jax was ugly, not all because Emilio had been serious when he said that he was pretty, but it just…didn’t seem right.

Eyes glowing in excitement at the prospect, Jax nodded eagerly as he said “Yeah, yeah, that sounds real good. I can do that.”

By the time Emilio met Jax at a table in the quad for lunch, Jax was almost physically bouncing in his excitement as he ate an apple. “I’m ready!”

“Alright,” Emilio laughed as he got up on the tabletop and sat beside Jax. His face no longer hurt but he had an ugly scratch and bruise. At least his mouth hadn’t been affected. Pulling out his bag of lunch, he settled for eating the swiss roll first. Sugar was at the top of his list right now. Nudging Jax with his shoulder, he nodded in the direction of a group of guys. “Start there.”

“Just…start?”

“Yup,” Emilio nodded as his gaze caught on the popular table and Marcus. Marcus had said that it was _better_ that they didn’t hang out in school because it was for the _best._

Was Emilio’s annoyed sarcasm coming through? He hoped so.

Emilio had replied by saying that was one of the stupidest things he’d ever heard which made Marcus’ nostrils flare and his eyes flash. But Emilio had faced the stubborn will of Joseph Kavinsky many times over so facing Marcus had been nothing. Marcus had in turn replied that for right now, it’d be _best_ for the _both_ of them. Emilio didn’t want to get bothered more than he already had been, did he?

Bullshit.

It’d been bugging him for the past couple weeks since he had returned from his suspension. In the beginning, he’d decided to just let it go. Fine, he could wait for a little and give Marcus the space he needed. Okay. Cool. Relationships came with compromises. But then a couple days turned into a week and a week turned into a couple.

They were going on week three soon.

Yesterday, Emilio had tried talking about it again. He wasn’t the type who shied from hard conversations, everyone knew that. Marcus, however, did not and had gotten annoyed again and Emilio had just gotten flat out angry. He’d told Marcus to have a good night – it’d been barely morning because they had run into each other walking to school – and called out as he walked away that he wouldn’t be seeing him in school. Wasn’t that what he wanted?

By evening, Emilio’s silence must had been unnerving because Marcus had called and tried to act like everything was perfectly a-okay. Emilio didn’t play that way so he’d tried the convo again only to be shut down once more. With a sigh, Emilio once again wished his unofficial boyfriend a good night.

Wasn’t it funny how he always seemed to get the guys who just didn’t want the world to know about them? Emilio must have a type for hardheaded assholes.

Biting into the last of his apple, Jax gazed at the guys intently before finally saying “Well…the…the Asian dude…he’s kinda nice. Like, his cheekbones are all high and pret-”

Nudging Jax because he stopped for whatever reason, Emilio said encouragingly “Keep going.”

Jax shook his head furiously. “Forget it.”

It almost sounded like…he was angry. What was up with that? “What’s wrong?”

Eyes flashing, Jax snorted “I fucking almost called a guy pretty.”

“Okay…? We’re trying to find what you like, remember? I mean, you joke like that all the time, what’s the problem? Plus, I called you pretty.” Jumping off the bench with angry movements, Jax grabbed his stuff and packed up. Worried that he’d run off without an explanation, Emilio quickly packed his own things and got up. “Jax?” Emilio said in concern, trying to get his friend’s attention by touching his arm.

That only made Jax yank back violently. “I’m not a fucking fag like you, man.”

It was like his mind didn’t even comprehend the words as he blinked in shock at who he thought was a friend. Who he could have sworn was a friend.

Fuck, those words hurt. Especially coming from someone who was supposed to be a friend.

Especially because of that.

Jax must have realized what he’d said because his eyes went wide in with guilt and realization. “Wait, I didn’t-”

Having absolutely no intentions of ever hearing what was going to come out of this piece of shit’s mouth, Emilio started to walk away, not once looking back.

“Wait,” Jax said hurriedly, trying to grasp Emilio back, “Emilio, man, hold up. I didn’t me-”

“Just shut the fuck up!” Emilio snapped as he spun around to face the newest hater in his life. Jax looked surprised to find Emilio shouting and shunning him. Pointing over to the assholes at the popular table which included his not-boyfriend, Emilio hissed “Why don’t you just go hang out with the load of homophobes over there. You’ll fit right in. Join your piece of shit buddy who wants to act like I’m a nobody except when it’s convenient for him. Sorry for trying to help.”

Spinning back around, he left a gaping Jax in his wake.

They could all go to fucking hell.

  

* * *

 

Marcus waved Jax over once he finally caught his eye. He couldn’t hear from where he was but it sure as hell looked like Jax and Emilio had fought about something and that didn’t sit good with him. He needed his love interest and his buddies to get along, not fight.

Jax trudged over, his head hung in shame, which only made Marcus worry more than he already was. “Hey,” Jax murmured to everyone sitting at or around the benches as he planted his ass down beside Marcus. When he said nothing else, Marcus poked him and asked quietly “What’s wrong?”

His friend stayed silent as he shrugged, keeping his gaze down at the table. That apparently wasn’t good enough for Richi either because he rapped his knuckles on Jax’s head and said “’Ey, amigo, talk. What’s up? The fuck was whatever that was about? Emilio looked pissed, man.”

So he hadn’t been the only one looking.

Sitting up and sighing, Jax murmured “Your boy is apparently pissed at you.”

The fuck? “I’m pretty sure you’re the one who was just talking to him, not me.”

“If you don’t believe me then text ‘em. Bet you he won’t answer.”

He stared at Jax for a few more seconds before pulling out his phone and sending off a greeting to Emilio. Why would Emilio be mad at him all of the sudden? That was ridiculous. Sure, he was a little annoyed about them not being seen together, had made that apparent quite a few times, but that was minor shit. It wasn’t such a huge deal. Marcus set his phone down on the bench and waited patiently.

And waited some more but a lot less patiently.

Richi also seemed impatient as he stood over Marcus and stared down at the phone. When even more minutes passed, he said “Dude, he’s not answering.”

Grinding his jaw because he knew Emilio could easily see the message right now being that it was lunch hour, he muttered “I noticed.”

“Told you,” Jax chimed in as if that would help.

When he felt someone staring, Marcus picked up his head and came face to face with Tanner sitting across him with concern written all over him and waiting. “What?” Marcus asked when Tanner kept staring without saying anything.

“I asked you a question,” he laughed.

“Oh,” Marcus said quickly as he slid his phone into his pocket. “Yeah, sorry, what’s up?”

“You alright? You look worried. Need to talk?”

Somehow, and he just didn’t understand how, his friend from first grade all those years ago knew how to be a friend despite his assholic qualities. So weird. “Yeah, yeah, everything’s cool. Thanks.” His phone had yet to vibrate with a new message and now he was genuinely worried. What in the hell?

Tanner nodded slowly and Marcus knew that he didn’t believe him. “Okay. Just…I’m here to listen if you need it.”

“Thanks,” he replied with the best smile he could manage as he stood. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on. Nudging Jax, eyeing Richi who was chatting up a cheerleader, and pushing Richi in front of him, Marcus said to whoever was listening “We’ll see you guys later.”

“Lunch still has twenty minutes,” Tanner said in confusion.

“Promised to help Jax with his math. Dude’s shitty at it, you know that. We need quiet.”

“Okay…see you guys later, I guess.”

They walked to a quiet part of school and took an empty bench. Marcus pulled out his phone and checked for a message but there was nothing. Still nothing and it was bugging the crap out of him. _What the fuck…_ Looking up at Jax, he demanded “Talk.”

Huffing, Jax looked at the three boys around him and said quietly “Promise you guys won't…you guys won’t look at me differently?”

Raising a brow and looking at Richi and Sean, Marcus shrugged and said “Okay. Promise. All of us.”

Rubbing his head and sighing, Jax said “Where do I start?”

“Why’s Emilio mad at me would be fantastic. Also how you know.”

“Well, he told me. Okay, he didn’t really tell me, it was more he hated on you and I figured from that that he’s mad. Obviously, he must be because he still hasn’t answered.”

Checking his phone again even though he knew there was nothing, Marcus huffed in frustration and turned back to Jax. “What’s he mad about? How’d he hate on me?”

“Hold up,” Sean interrupted. “What’d you guys fight about?”

Okay so all of them had been paying attention it seemed.

Shame filled Jax’s face once again as he murmured something Marcus couldn’t believe. He had to have heard wrong. No way Jax would say something like that. No fucking way. Richi was gaping at Jax and said “I’m sorry, can you repeat that? I think I heard wrong.”

“You didn’t,” Jax mumbled miserably as he covered his head as he rested it on the table.

Sean was gaping as much as Richi and Marcus were. “You called him a fag? The fuck, Jax?”

“It just…slipped.”

“It slipped?” Marcus snarled, his blood boiling. There was never a question in his mind that Jax was a homophobe. The three guys around him were the most accepting people he had ever known. For something like that to come out of his mouth?

What in the fucking hell.

“I was mad at myself,” he mumbled into the table.

Throwing his hands in the air, Richi said “If you’re mad at yourself, where does Emilio come in?”

Sitting up and looking miserable – he deserved it – Jax said quietly “Me and Emilio were talking about sexuality and stuff earlier and I told him… I told him that maybe I was bi like him. So at lunch we were supposed to figure if I had a type.”

Marcus wasn’t surprised by this revelation – he had always felt it, if he was honest. But he never mentioned it without Jax mentioning it first. “So what went wrong?”

“I almost called a guy pretty.”

Sean’s eyes filled with confusion. “Okay?”

“I-I can’t be… I can’t like dudes, man.”

“Why not?” Marcus inquired.

Slumping his shoulders in defeat, Jax replied quietly “That’s unnatural.”

Marcus’ blood rose once more. “I’m sorry, do you and I have a problem?”

Raising his head and shaking it furiously while waving his hands in front of himself, Jax replied “No! No, we don’t, I swear.”

“Then?”

“It’s okay for you to like guys. It’s okay for Emilio to like guys. But…”

“Not you?” Richi asked in confusion, his thick eyebrows scrunching together.

He wasn’t sure if he was onto it or not but Marcus thought he’d try. “You’re not comfortable with your sexuality? There’s nothing wrong with it, Jax.”

Jax lowered his head on to the table again. “You think so? This feels like some huge confusing mess. I feel like a huge confused mess. And a huge jackass.”

Marcus felt his friend but that was no fucking excuse. Slipping in beside Jax on the bench, Sean said softly “You just gotta take it bit by bit. Slowly, alright? Ain’t nothing wrong with you. You just been with girls before and so this is a bit different than what you’ve felt before. That’s all.”

Drawing patterns with his finger into the table, Jax murmured “Yeah, maybe.”

“So…why’s Emilio mad at me?” Marcus needed to know this seriously vital info. He didn’t work him out of Joseph for him to fuck up over something stupid.

“He’s pissed that you won’t talk to him here. Making it like he’s your side babe when you guys are out of school, you know?”

“What?” That couldn’t be it; they’ve talked about that a billion times already. It was simpler that way for right now.

Staring at him like he was stupid, Richi clarified “He probably feels like you’re using him or maybe you’re embarrassed of him.”

Jesus. That was just fucking ridiculous. “That’s fuck ass stupid. Of course not.”

“Yeah, well, how’s he supposed to know that?” Sean jumped in to the conversation. “You treat him like you don’t know him here and then we’re out somewhere and suddenly you’re all doting like he’s everything. I didn’t want to say nothing but that’s seriously fucked, man.”

“You know how much issues we’d get if people knew we were a thing?” Marcus asked. Why did know one see it the way he did?

Jax looked nervous because he probably felt like a lot of this was his fault. And honestly right now, Marcus felt like it was. “Dude, Emilio fucking beat down Tanner into his place. I don’t think he’s worried about anything. I think that maybe you’re worried about your place as badass athlete with a fucking sick reputation. I think you don’t want people looking at you differently. Whispering fag behind your back because they’d be too afraid to say it to your face.”

Marcus shifted on the bench uncomfortably. Was that it? Was he worried that he’d be labeled gay even though he wasn’t? Did it bother him if people knew that he didn’t mind going out with guys? Everyone had known about him and Lydia. They were _the_ couple of school. It wouldn’t be like that if people knew about him and Emilio and their not-relationship.

He’d just be any other fag.

When he still hadn’t spoken, Sean murmured “Dude, they can all fuck themselves. If Emilio is proud of being him, why the hell can’t you be? You’re proud everywhere except here. And I hate to break it to you but Emilio isn’t going to just be your side fuckboy and-”

“He’s not,” Marcus interrupted in annoyance. He liked Emilio a lot. Fuck, he was convinced that he was seriously in love with him even though they hadn’t known each other that long. “I seriously want him.”

“Yeah, well then prove it. Because he sure as hell doesn’t seem the type to just sit there waiting for you. He’d probably want nothing to do with you. That’s apparent being that he still hasn’t answered.”

Maybe…Marcus should have taken all those conversations more seriously. This could have been easily avoided, couldn’t it? Okay, no problem, he could fix this.

He’d fix this.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Idk if I said this already or if it even needs to be said but in the case of a Spanish name, Jesus is pronounced Hey-soos. Also this is the same Jesus who was mentioned a few times in His World was a Nightmare
> 
> Enjoy ;)
> 
> _"If the big bad athlete can’t come fix problems with his boyfriend by himself then his boyfriend wants nothing to do with him."_

Since he had gotten home, the vibrations hadn’t stopped. Hell, the vibrations had started even before that, Marcus having been texting him since lunch. It was getting annoying as hell because after hours of not answering, Marcus should have figured that a reply wasn’t coming anytime soon. Emilio had no intention of answering anytime soon either.

Flicking an annoyed glance over to his phone that was beside his algebra textbook, Emilio huffed in irritation. With every notice of a message, his anger rose all the more and his pain grew to excruciating levels. Maybe he was being childish about the whole matter or maybe he wasn’t but it didn’t matter.

It just wasn’t fucking fair.

When his phone vibrated for what felt like the millionth time, Emilio dropped his pencil onto his assignment sheet and grabbed the phone, throwing it at the wall. He cringed a little when it slammed with a bang because he sure as hell didn’t have money to buy a new one. He was lucky that he even had that one. Emilio could have just as easily put it on silent.

He always was one for dramatics, wasn’t he?

Emilio jumped when there was a knock at his door, his mother’s head peeking around the wall a second later. There was concern written all over her face. “I’ll tolerate moodiness and silence but please don’t make holes in the walls.”

Laughing for her sake alone, Emilio replied “My bad. But if I did make a hole, I’d fix it.”

Rolling her eyes as she walked all the way in, she stooped down to pick up his phone and walked the short distance to him and his bed, taking a seat beside him and his homework. Emilio watched as her face scrunched in worried surprise as the phone vibrated once more. “That’s…quite a lot of messages waiting for you.” She set his phone down on his work and looked at him with concern. “Is everything okay, mijo? What’s wrong?”

Sighing as he put his phone on silent and set it to the side, Emilio traced the math problems on his paper with his finger. He just…didn’t feel like talking about it. He blamed Joseph for teaching him how to keep quiet. “It’s nothing,” he murmured, not meeting her gaze, “I’m fine, really.”

“My dead great-grandfather buried all the way back in Puerto Rico can see that everything isn’t fine, mi amor.” Emilio couldn’t help but smile at her words as he felt her fingers combing through his hair. “Talk to papa, okay? I know you’re more comfortable with him.” Emilio’s head shot up as he wanted to protest despite the truth to the words but his mom shook her head to stop him. “I’m not upset by that. I’m happy that you guys are so close; many are not.”

To be honest, Emilio felt like ever since Joseph had left him like nothing, he’d closed up. Him and his father didn’t talk like they used to. That wasn’t to say that they didn’t because Emilio still told him a lot of stuff but…it just wasn’t the same. He suppressed his feelings instead of talked about them and spent more time holed up in his room than with his family. Emilio knew his father felt the difference and that it hurt him but Emilio just wasn’t back up to par yet.

His mother stood and walked out, closing the door silently behind her but not before she kissed the top of his head and murmured “Talk to him, mijo, it’ll help.”

“Talk to him,” Emilio sighed as he dropped himself backwards to lie down and stare up at the ceiling. Nowadays, talking was just too hard. Turning his head, he watched as his phone lit up in its silence with yet another message. Maybe…he should just read them at least. There was no way that Jax hadn’t talked to Marcus which meant that he knew that Emilio was upset. But fuck, man, Emilio had been telling him that he was upset for the past two weeks. How hard was it to just listen?

With yet another sigh, Emilio dragged his phone over to himself and opened up the messages, working his way down. The time between messages since the first had gotten shorter and shorter, Emilio’s silence probably bothering Marcus. There were a lot of ‘talk to me’ or ‘im sorry’ and even ‘I know why ur mad’ but it was all irrelevant when he read one that just flat out irritated him more than he already was.

_Marcus: Listen Im rly rly sorry. I didn’t know it bothered u so much. U should’ve told me_

“Because…I haven’t told you billion times already, right?” Emilio snorted in annoyed disbelief.

Then there was this one.

_Marcus: I just wanted to avoid shit u know? We can talk or hang sometimes_

Shaking his head in frustration because this idiot just did not get it, Emilio rested the edge of his phone on his forehead as he shut his eyes. Sometimes. Sometimes.

Seriously?

He felt bad, he really did, but goddammit, Emilio was fucking sick of being someone’s something on the side. It wasn’t fair to him because he knew he deserved better. Yeah, he had understood why he and Joseph couldn’t have been out and proud together because, hello, homophobic mobster, but…fuck. It just wasn’t fair. Emilio didn’t want to just be someone’s dirty little secret. And Marcus’ situation wasn’t the same as Joseph’s, or at least he didn’t think it was, because they had kissed a billion times right in the middle of the projects where Marcus lived so…

In every honest bone in his body, Emilio knew for a fact that Marcus would try to fix this. He knew it and it made him feel good that he obviously mattered to Marcus because Emilio kind of fancied himself…maybe in love with the bastard.

But while he knew Marcus would try his hardest, Emilio knew without a single doubt that Marcus would try to fix this everywhere except the one place where he was supposed to.

And until then, Emilio didn’t need the constant annoyance of messages.

  

* * *

 

“Marcus!” Richi shouted in such a mixture of emotions that it took Marcus a minute to decipher the threads of nervous excitement. “Fuck, dude!”

“What?” he called back from the kitchen of the apartment he shared with his mom, brothers, and sometimes, sadly, her boyfriend. The guy wasn’t a bad guy – Marcus’ mom was smarter than that – but Marcus just didn’t…click with the man. It wasn’t fair because he was Desta’s dad and Marcus’ needed to have a relationship with the guy for his brother’s sake but…ugh.

“Dude, your phone just fucking vibrated!”

Marcus froze for a minute as he thought about this before rushing over to where he left his phone on the coffee table. It could be anybody but what if Emilio finally answered? The silence was driving him insane. “I swear to God if you guys are fucking with me…” he muttered as he opened the phone and went to the messaging app.

It was from Emilio.

He could feel the guys staring at him expectantly as they waited for him to tell them what was up. Marcus wasn’t quite sure he could bring himself to read it out loud though.

Because it hurt like fuck.

_Emilio: STOP_

One word. All caps. If that wasn’t a knife in his heart than nothing was. He’d been apologizing for _hours_ and all he got was a ‘stop’ for his efforts.

In all fucking caps.

All this just because of something so small and stupid.

Marcus was still clutching his phone tight, staring down at the accursed word as Jax nervously whispered “Well?”

Nodding slowly, Marcus snorted “Well…” he shook his head and dropped it onto the table, not caring whatever the fuck might happen to it “I’m such a fucking idiot!” Looking to the carefully worried faces around him, he added “If you guys knew I was fucking up, why did no one say shit?”

Sean looked at him like he had lost his head to a cannibal. “Last time we said something like that when you was with Lydia, you told us we don’t know shit. Then what happened next?”

She dumped his ass.

“She dumped your ass,” Sean continued, now pointing an accusing finger at him, “You didn’t listen because you didn’t want to hear it. The fuck was going to be different this time?”

He hated when they were right. Plopping down onto one of the two small couches, he groaned into his hands “I’m so stupid. He’s never gonna talk to me again.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, no?” Richi said, his voice muffled meaning he had his rosary in his mouth. Again. There was no breaking that habit no matter how hard anyone tried. “You just got to fix it.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to fix it if he won’t listen?”

“If you really want it to work, then you’ll figure it out, no matter how hard or how long it takes.”

Wow, yeah, that sounded so fucking easy. Just fix it. Fuck him, dammit. Marcus was about to tell Richi as much but the door to his apartment opened and Marcus didn’t need T hearing about his dumbass heartache. Putting a smile on his face, Marcus asked “Have fun?”

His little brother Tewodros took off his sneakers and put the basketball on the floor before he came walking over with a shrug, sitting down beside him. “I did but…I didn’t make no hoops. I hit the rim though.”

“Hey, that’s a good start,” Jax said, leaning around Marcus and nudging T in the shoulder with a fist. “You start hitting the hoop and then you’ll be making baskets in no time.”

Some of Marcus’ pain eased just from seeing T brighten from Jax’s words. Headlocking his brother, causing him to squawk, Marcus added “One day, little dude, you’ll be so good, you’ll make NBA.”

Shoving Marcus off, T snorted with an eyeroll that was too old for his age “Why you gotta lie like that? We both know that ain’t never happening.”

It was T’s ultimate dream to make NBA. He literally had Michael Jordan posters all over his half of the room but T kept saying that he’d never be good enough. But as Marcus told him a million times, practice could get him there. “Yo, dude,” Jax snorted “Only ain’t gonna happen if you keep saying shit like that.”

Marcus got up and grabbed his phone before walking off to his room, leaving them to their conversation. He could plaster a smile and brighten his mood but he sure as fuck wasn’t feeling it. He needed to go mope alone in peace before he had to haul his ass to work.

  

* * *

 

Emilio pushed around a cucumber in his plate as he listened to fuck ass deadbeat Jesus drone on and on about whatever. Dear Lord, Emilio had never liked him but fuck his life did he hate his guts more and more as the days went by.

He just hoped Maria would find her brain again before they officially tied the knot. Who wanted to be attached to a deadbeat for the rest of their life?

“-job at Dunkin’ Donuts. Minimum but I’ll work my up,” Jesus was saying as he finished up his plate. Jesus and Maria were invited for dinner – not that Maria didn’t come without invitations all the time – because their parents were trying to learn how to stomach Jesus’ presence more than once a month since he was marrying Maria.

It was a hard fucking job.

“It’s a start,” his father said with a stiff smile. He was trying _really_ hard for Maria’s sake. Emilio had stopped trying a couple years ago. There was no stomaching Jesus and his personality which was so terrible that it made babies cry.

“Yup. I do a part time too.”

His father brightened just a little like there was hope somewhere in there. Emilio wanted to tell him not to waste his hope. It was useless for Jesus. “Oh? What are you doing?”

“I’m working with an old buddy of mine,” Jesus replied with a bright smile like this was his saving grace. “He’s got a chop shop of sorts. Juan. Good guy.”

Emilio’s mind ticked at the name.

_“The other day, Juan came driving up in the sickest Charger I’ve ever seen man. Lemme check it out too.”_

_“Sean, why the fuck you talking to him?” Marcus disdained. “The guy’s just gonna get you into a lot of bad shit.”_

There were a billion Juans in the world but…  “Juan? He drive a Charger by any chance?”

Jesus flicked a glance over at Emilio and nodded. “Yeah, sick as fuck. You seen it? Bright ass yellow.”

Greeeaattt. His sister’s fiancé was doing illegal shit. Yeah, Emilio was definitely drawing a hard line now. “No, I haven’t, but I’m just gonna put this out there and say if you keep working for him then you and my sister are done.”

Silence and wide eyes greeted his words until Maria asked in irritation “Excuse you?”

Pointing his fork at Jesus but speaking to his sister, Emilio snorted “It’s enough I have to stomach the fact that he’s a fucking deadbeat loser. I draw the line at criminal shit.”

“Language,” his mother chastised, her eyes flashing. “Watch your mouth.”

“Nope, sorry. Harsh words are the only way to speak to this ass. Juan jacks those cars your future son-in-law works on. Criminal activities right there. Maria deserves a thousand times better than that.”

“Jacks them?” his father asked with a troubled look. Yeah, he wasn’t going to like this any more than Emilio did. He’d ran a background check on Jesus years ago but nothing had popped up.

“Yes. Or at least that’s what Jax and them said. They would know. He lives around their neighborhood. He’s always around there trying to get them to ‘work’ with him.”

“You know this?” his father asked Jesus in such a serious tone that everyone knew he was meaning business right now.

Jesus merely laughed and replied “C’mon, Mr. Vidal. Seriously? I don’t know and I don’t ask. I just prefer to get paid. Taking care of your daughter, remember?”

Look at this ass trying to make it sound like Maria was a chore. A fire was steadily burning in the back of his father’s eyes as he said “I remember just fine, thank you. I want you to stop working for him if you don’t mind.”

“I mind.”

“Jesus,” Maria hissed under her breath.

Turning a quick glance at her, Jesus muttered “What?” Looking to Emilio, he asked “Who’s Jax?”

“Not your business.”

“Listen up,” his father said sternly, that fire a little closer to the surface, “Either you drop that job or you and Maria are do-”

“Papi!” Maria distressed. With how upset she was, you’d think she was going to marry the prince of England or something.

“No!” he silenced, his eyes burning. His dad’s anger was rare but when it flared, it was something. “I refuse to allow any child of mine to be with someone who willingly breaks the law. I draw the line there if at nothing else.”

“Alright, alright,” Jesus snorted with an eyeroll like it was all just stupid bull. “Look, Mr. V, it makes you so uncomfortable? Fine, I won’t work for him. No biggie.” Smirking over at Emilio with his dark brown eyes gleaming with challenge, Jesus added “Problem solved. No criminal activities. Now get your panties out of your ass, fag, unless your thong is stuck too far up where you can’t reach.”

Everyone, including Emilio, froze. Maria had been with Jesus for years and not once had Emilio suspected that he was a fucking homophobe. Some people just knew how to hide when they wanted something. But two people were not going to get away with that today. No way in fucking hell. “What did you just say to me?”

The eternal smirk was still there. “Problem solved. Relax your faggie ass.”

“Oh not in a million fucking years, you piece of shit,” Emilio snarled before jumping out of his seat and lunging at Jesus. Either his mother or Maria shouted his name but he could barely hear over the roaring of blood in his ears as he slammed his fist into Jesus’ face. The element of surprise was the only thing that helped him out though because in a second, Jesus used his greater height to flip them over and once he did, it was Emilio’s turn to take the hits.

The weight of his sister’s fiancé was lifted off him a moment later, his father grasping Jesus by his arms before slamming his face first into the table. “We finished?”

“I didn’t start it,” Jesus snarled, his arms pinned behind his back and blood streaming down his face

“Are you finished?” his father asked again in a sterner tone, pressing his thumbs into Jesus’ wrists.

“Yes.”

Letting go of Jesus, his father turned his attention to Emilio still on the floor. “Are you?”

Snorting, Emilio shook his head and replied “No.” He made to rush Jesus again but his father grabbed his and practically threw him to the side.

“Enough!” his father snapped, one of his fingers jabbed into Emilio’s chest. “Enough.”

Breathing hard from the adrenaline pumping through him, Emilio looked over at Maria checking on Jesus. “Just to let you know, if you stay with him, I’ll never talk to you again. Ever.”

Maria’s eyes went wide with hurt as their mother shouted “Emilio! Don’t say such things!”

“I will!” he yelled in all his frustration and pain. Not to mention anger. He’d had just about enough shit today and he wasn’t going to add ‘having a homophobe in the fam’ to his list. “I’m fucking sick of having to listen to this shit! There’s nothing wrong with me! I’m not going to let people speak to me as though I’m some disgusting faggot! I’m not shit underneath peoples’ feet!” Stabbing himself in the chest with his finger, he snapped “I’m a fucking human being with feelings! And if my sister is too fucking STUPID to realize that being with a HOMOPHOBE will hurt me than she’s not fucking worth SPEAKING TO! I’m not something to be embarrassed by! THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!”

“Mijo,” his father said in such a calm voice that you wouldn’t even guess that he’d been yelling a second ago. Too bad Emilio didn’t have the patience to appreciate it right now.

“Just SHUT UP!”

Shock and hurt flashed across his father’s face. Emilio had never spoken to him like that, never even raised his voice to him because it’d always been good between them. He’d go to his father for everything and anything.

But right now, he didn’t think he could handle seeing a single person. He didn’t want anyone. He didn’t need a stupid father or mother or bitch sister or a stupid fucking boyfriend who was too embarrassed to be seen with him. He hadn’t even realized that he was crying until he felt the silent tears dripping off his face. Wiping them harshly, he snapped in frustration “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

Rushing out and to his room to just get away, Emilio grabbed his phone, hat, headphones, and put on his shoes before going back out, ignoring everyone. He hated that Alondra had seen him like that but how in the hell could he…contain his emotions? After the day he’d had, after the couple years he’d had, blowing was inevitable, wasn’t it?

What he needed right now was to get out of his head and get away from both himself and everyone.

He just needed to be alone.

“Mi amor,” his mother whispered as she clutched his arm as he was halfway out the door. “Emilio.”

Emilio merely yanked his arm back and walked out, slamming the door behind himself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy ;)
> 
> _"My boy fucking your sister didn’t appreciate his face being blackened by a fag.”_

Tapping his pencil on the table as he thought about how to phrase a decent sounding answer that didn’t give away to the fact that he was bullshitting it, Emilio let out a long suffering huff. It hardly encompassed anything of what he was feeling though; not even fucking close. The past two days had been hell and so full of crap that Emilio was reaching the limit. Usually his runs would help clear his head but they hadn’t been at all successful.

The day after his fights with both Marcus and Jesus, Emilio had made sure to ignore everyone as best as he possibly could. It wasn’t that anything was anyone’s fault but he just figured that it was better if collateral damage didn’t happen. His feelings were hardly in his control and blowing on an innocent unsuspecting person was just plain cruel. It wasn’t their faults that his not-boyfriend was an asshole and his future brother-in-law was a homophobe.

Future brother-in-law.

Yup.

Maria had chosen her fiancé instead of Emilio.

Yet another blow to his shattering self-worth and esteem.

_Walking back into his apartment after his run that hadn’t done him any good, Emilio was met with the form of his father stretched out on the larger couch. In the dim of the room, he couldn’t tell if he was awake or not but either way, Emilio knew he was in for trouble for showing up hours later. Hell, he didn’t even know what the time was; his phone had died long ago._

_Best thing was just to keep walking._

_“Back up.”_

_And there went that plan. Halting in his tracks, Emilio huffed and stood for a second before backtracking to his father who was now sitting up. “Yeah?”_

_His father got to his feet and examined Emilio critically, his face very deceptively blank. Never a good sign. A minute of silence passed before he asked “Can you tell me what time it is?”_

_Not exactly, no, but… “After midnight?”_

_From just the twitch of his eye, Emilio knew that his father didn’t appreciate the quiet sarcasm. “After midnight. Try three A.M. I have been sitting here for the past almost five hours, waiting for your highness to come home. I barely convinced your mother to get some sleep two hours ago being that she was so worried that she didn’t give a crap that she has to get up in an hour for an eight-hour shift.”_

_If Emilio felt guilt for anything right now, it was knowing that he’d ruined the chance of his mom getting any sleep before going to the hospital to work._

_“We were both waiting and waiting for Emilio to decide to show the fuck up. To grace us with his beyond fucking wonderful presence.” Oh, the man was pissed for sure. His face may not show it but his words sure did. “It doesn’t help that you seemed intent on not answering your phone.”_

_“It died,” Emilio shrugged. He didn’t bother adding that he’d put it on silent so he wouldn’t know if anyone was looking for him._

_Apparently, those were the words to make his dad’s blank façade break as frustration flashed through his eyes. “Do you get how many horrible scenarios went through my head? Through your mother’s? We thought something might have happened to you. Literally another ten minutes and I was ready to go out looking for you. You can at least have the fucking decency to act like you’re sorry.”_

_Rolling his eyes but not daring to meet his father’s furious face, Emilio muttered “Sorry.”_

_“Look at me.” Emilio wanted to laugh; not a chance, thank you. “Emilio Vidal, look at me.”_

_Last names were always a bad sign._

_So Emilio flicked his gaze over, just in case._

_Honestly, Emilio wasn’t sure the last time he’d seen his father this angry. Every limb was drawn tight and his face was…furious. “I don’t know exactly what your problem is today,” now was probably the wrong time to get smart and say yesterday, “but I do understand that you’re hurting. I get it-”_

_“But you don’t!” Emilio couldn’t help but interrupt harshly because no one got it. How could hotshot banger-turned-detective Raul Vidal understand what it meant to be queer? To be hated for who you wanted to love? “You’re not gay! You’re not even bi! What the hell do you get? Nothing! How could you possibly understand what it feels like to be constantly told that you’re sick! That something is wrong with you! YOU CAN’T!”_

_The careful blank look was back, growing over his father’s face in the quickness that weeds take over a garden, but there was no hiding the clenched jaw. The grinding of the teeth. None of them had ever yelled at their parents, never ever, and Emilio had broken that rule twice today. Well, once yesterday and once today. And if his mom, Linda, and Alondra hadn’t been eavesdropping before, they sure as hell were now. “It doesn’t matter how much you’re hurting,” his father said in such a calm voice that Emilio was totally thrown, “it doesn’t give you the right to speak to me that way. Understood?”_

_“Fuck you.”_

_He was pretty sure he heard a gasp which meant at least one person had their ear glued to their door. Even with his ‘strong’ comeback, Emilio didn’t have the strength to keep meeting his dad’s empty gaze. There was no reaction forthcoming but it sure as hell didn’t mean that his father wasn’t boiling on the inside._

_When it seemed like no words were coming, Emilio moved to his next topic. “So being that there’s been no mention of Maria and also that her shoes aren’t at the door…I’m assuming she picked her trash?” He looked quickly to his father who was still just staring before turning his gaze back to the clock on the wall. “Course she did. She’s probably embarrassed of her fag brother. Wait, stupid me, her half-brother. Maybe if I was whole she’d actually care.”_

_“That’s not fair.”_

_Emilio snorted and focused back on his father. Still so blank. Was this how he got suspects to talk? Well, it was working on Emilio. “Why not? It’s probably true. She doesn’t give fuck and probably wishes for no brother than a half a faggot. What’s to brag about that? Hey, so, when people talk about their kids, do you tell them that yours is a faggot?”_

_Crossing his arms, his father replied “Being that no child of mine is a fag, no. I’ve never and never will be embarrassed by you, Emilio. Not-”_

_“Don’t lie to me!” he snapped angrily. Fuck that. “You wouldn’t even look at me for days when I told you. What the fuck do you call that?”_

_The façade shattered again but it was just his father looking…tired. Old even and the man was hardly considered old. And somehow, that made Emilio feel guilty. “Emilio, mi amor, I’ve never lied to you about anything. Why would I start now? Did I take it hard when you told me? Yeah, I did. Because I was ignorant and stupid. But I know better now and even you in your anger can agree with that. From that day forward, have you ever questioned my acceptance of you? The acceptance of your sisters, your mother, your grandmother? Any of us?”_

_Angry tears flooded his eyes because no, he couldn’t. He knew that even if the world outside was harsh to him, he could always come home and find the support he looked for. Every ounce of fight drained out of him as he shook his head. Before he walked off to his room with silent tears streaking down his face, Emilio whispered “Please just leave me alone.”_

As if having that hell wasn’t enough, it went on to texts from the guys. They thought they were all deceptive like, starting with normal chitchat until they segued into talking about Marcus. When it became the end game for every single conversation, Emilio just started ignoring them too. Now it was them ambushing him in school, wherever they could catch him. And he’d talk with whoever it was until they switched the subject to Marcus and how he was ‘really really sorry.’

In response, Emilio told them to fuck off and leave him be.

Marcus had tried talking to himself which was better than sending his buddies. Too bad for Marcus that he hadn’t done it in the right place. He’d tried talking to him after school which in itself wasn’t an issue.

The issue was that it was a whole _block_ _away_ from school.

_“Emilio! Hold up!”_

_He heard the footsteps but he knew that this particular person had long legs so he’d catch up without Emilio stopping and waiting for him. Not that he even wanted to. Only a second later, Marcus popped up beside him, walking in silence until finally he said “What up, badass.”_

_“Fuck you,” he answered simply._

_Yanking his arm to make him stop walking, Marcus’ face lit up in surprise and, surprisingly, a touch of anger upon seeing Emilio’s bruised one. “The fuck happened to you?”_

_“A homophobe,” Emilio snorted as he took his arm back and trudged on. “Now leave me alone.”_

_“Emilio, please, wait. I’m sorry. So fucking sorry, man.”_

_“I’ve heard,” Emilio called out behind himself._

_Those footsteps came again, except this time Marcus planted himself smack dab in front of Emilio. “What do I have to do? Tell me because I want to fix this. Please.”_

_Sidestepping the obstacle in his path, Emilio said in a deceptively strong voice even though he felt like complete weak shit “Nothing.”_

Yesterday had been like the day before it. The only difference was that Marcus had tried twice instead of once. Not that it’d done him any good being that it still hadn’t been at school. His family had resorted to just avoiding him entirely – he didn’t blame them – although his father had tried to talk to him. He was a better man than Emilio could ever be for him to just…lower himself to Emilio’s level when he wasn’t the one in the wrong.

_“Can I come in?” came his father’s voice after the knock. “Mijo?”_

_Dilemma. With a guilty sigh because he had yet to apologize or even speak to his father since shit had hit the fan, Emilio set his head in his hands and mumbled “Come in.”_

_He didn’t look up but he could feel the specific weight that his father’s gaze carried. “Hola.”_

_“Hi.”_

_“Can I sit?”_

_Shutting his eyes harshly, Emilio whispered “I’m not good company right now. Sorry.” Hardly a lie but it wasn’t exactly nice either._

_“Well…when you find yourself to be better company, I happen to be looking for a companion.”_

_And just like that, Emilio knew that he was forgiven. And he shouldn’t be but he was and it only just made him feel a thousand times worse._

So far today, nobody had bothered him. Shocking really. It was free period and Emilio had decided that finishing up his English work in the library was a good idea. And it had been up until Sean had showed up a minute ago, looking all nervous. He was watching Emilio, waiting for Emilio to acknowledge him. Not wanting to prolong this any longer than he had to, Emilio sighed and slouched into his chair, gesturing to the one across from him. “What.”

Taking the offered seat, Sean held out an envelope. “Marcus wanted me to give you this.”

Huh, sweet. Taking it from Sean’s hand, Emilio turned it over as he examined the blankness of it. A letter then. No better than bullshit. Nodding, he looked up at Sean and smiled as he tore it in half and tossed it onto the table.

Sean huffed in frustration, throwing his hands up into the air. “What the fuck do you want him to do? How many times does he have to apologize?”

“There’s one simple way to fix this,” Emilio answered, “When he figures it out, I’ll glad talk to him and listen to everything he has to say.”

Staring at him like he was insane, Sean said in distress “What is it?”

Turning back to his homework that needed to get done, Emilio replied “He’s gotta figure it out. Can’t fix a problem if he doesn’t even know what it is.”

“C’mon, Emilio…” Sean groaned, covering his face with his hands, “He’s beyond fucking sorry, man. It’s eating him alive that you won’t talk to him. He’s going insane.”

“Good.”

“Marcus is hurting bad, man. Ju-”

“You think I’m not!” Emilio blew which earned him a stern glare from the librarian. Lowering his voice just a little, he continued “Do you think he’s the only one hurting? Or wait, I forgot. I’m not allowed to have fucking feelings! I’m just the stupid fag that people don’t wanna hang around, right? Fags don’t have feelings so why the hell would anyone care? Why?”

“Emilio, hold up,” Sean interrupted.

“No, you just listen. And you can go tell Marcus who’s too damn scared to come talk himself that if he’s so embarrassed to be with me, then forget it. He can go fuck himself. _There is nothing wrong with me._ If the big bad athlete can’t come fix problems with his _boyfriend_ by himself then his _boyfriend_ wants nothing to do with him. Never. I don’t need him, I don’t need any of you, I don’t need a fucking stupid sister who loves her homophobe more than her brother. Oh, stupid me. I’m only a half brother so why the fuck would she give me any consideration?”

Sean’s face took on confusion at the last few lines but he said “Just listen to me for one sec. That’s all I’m asking for.”

Standing up, he started shoving his shit into his bag. “Yeah, well that’s too much of my time,” he snorted as he put on his backpack and walked out, ignoring Sean’s protests.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy bruhs
> 
> _"Second off, why the hell do you four bastards look so goddamn worried?”_

He paced as he tried to think of an appropriate simile for what he was feeling. Marcus could say that his nerves were like a pot of boiling water but…too cliché. He needed something better than that. Like a bomb ready to blow wasn’t bad but it made it sound like he was angry which he wasn’t.

No, Marcus was hurting. A lot. He thought he understood the situation with Emilio but obviously he was missing something because they were still where they were with nothing fixed. Fuck, he couldn’t be that oblivious, could he?

Yeah, actually he could.

Sighing as he spun around to pace the other way, Marcus’ head flashed up as the sound of the gym doors opening came and Sean walked in.

Looking quite grim.

Fuck.

“Guess it didn’t work?”

With a shake of his head, Sean dropped his bag atop the folded bleachers and jumped up to take a seat. “Nah, man, sorry. He didn’t even open it; just ripped it in half. Too bad because I was dying to know what it said. Y’all dirty talk yet?”

Marcus was too devasted to get in on the joke as he jumped up beside Sean. He had had to wait the entire sixth period on fucking nails just to get crap news like this. Dropping his head into his hands, Marcus whispered “So what should I do? I’m all out of ideas here.”

“Actually…I’ve got one. The right one I think.”

He looked at his buddy in surprise. “Yeah? You been holding out on me?”

Sean rolled his eyes, rolling the ring he always wore around on his finger. “You need to talk to him personally first off-”

“I don’t know if you’ve forgotten already but I’ve tried that.”

“Lemme finish. Keep your smartass replies to yourself please,” Sean snorted, “You need to talk to him _here_. On campus, Marcus. The big issue is that he thinks you’re embarrassed of him or something. Acting like there’s something wrong with him that you don’t want to be seen around with him since he’s been labeled ‘the fag.’”

Drawing up his knees and resting his chin on them, Marcus considered this. He wasn’t embarrassed of Emilio at all. What was there to be embarrassed by? But Sean’s point did hit on something.

The whole ‘fag’ thing.

If Marcus got known as a guy going out with a guy…his status was going to tank like hell. Maybe that was just ridiculous thinking on his part but he knew it was true. Even if a lot of the people he hung out with didn’t have a problem with him wanting to be with Emilio, they wouldn’t say a word because it was him and Tanner who ran the crowd.

And Tanner would make sure that he was the winner.

Maybe it was time he moved on from that particular friend.

Now the important question was this:

Did he want some stupid status or did he want this guy who seemed really awesome?

He was definitely leaning towards Emilio.

Nodding with surety now, Marcus said strongly “Okay, I’ll do it. I can do it. I’ll even apologize in front of everyone too. Tomorrow for sure.”

Slapping Marcus on the back with a smile on his face and maybe just a touch of pride, Sean laughed “Good man, good man.”

  

* * *

 

No matter how much he tried on the horrible walk home to get lost in music instead of his head, Emilio was entirely unsuccessful. Like the complete pathetic person that he was, Emilio had gone to the bathroom after Sean had left him and bawled his eyes out. And unsurprisingly, the tears had eased the pain that had been eating him alive the past few days.

Ease but not erase.

When the sound of a loud engine came roaring down the street, his heart jumped. Emilio always had this little involuntary jolt of panic every time he heard the sound of a loud engine. All he could ever think was that he was finally going to run into Mr. Kavinsky after their terrifying – on Emilio’s part – last encounter. Thankfully, the car that passed him and parked across the street wasn’t Joseph’s father but Emilio wasn’t happy with who he guessed it was either.

The car was a bright yellow Charger.

And the guy who got out, both guys actually, were very Hispanic looking.

Walking across the street even though Emilio tried to just rush and keep walking, the guys stepped in his path a few feet away. The driver of the car smiled at Emilio who slipped off his headphones as he paused with as much as space as he could manage between them just in case he needed it. “What up, beaner?”

_“No matter how afraid you are, never ever show it.”_

_Emilio rolled his eyes at his father. “Papi, if I’m terrified, I don’t think I could manage not showing it. OW,” he muttered when he got flicked on his head. “Okay, God.”_

_“First thing anyone is going to look for is to see how scared you are and use it against you,” his father continued, in the mood for one of his ‘how to survive on the streets’ lessons. He did them every so often, mostly because he was afraid his only boy would turn out an idiot like him. And if he did, as his father liked to say, ‘I’d at least like him to stand a chance. I’m NOT encouraging you though.’ “So never show it. Put on an attitude and confidence like you’re the goddamn king of the world and you’ll have better chances.”_

At this moment in time, Emilio was not at all feeling very ‘king of the world’ but nonetheless, he put out the best air of confidence that he could manage as he examined the guys in front of him. They both had twice his height and his weight.

Oh he was so fucked.

Smirking the way he’d learned from Mr. Kavinsky because if it worked for mobsters, it had to work for normal people too, Emilio replied “Nothing much, gordito.”

Was insulting the guy’s weight a bad idea? He had missed the ‘how to give insults’ lesson.

The first guy’s eyes flashed from the word but he said nothing of it. “You Emilio by any chance?”

If he said no, no he wasn’t, would they believe him? What were the chances? Plus, why in the hell would Juan – maybe if this was him – be looking for him? “Might be. You Juan?”

With a smirk of his own and a casual comfortable relaxed manner about himself, Juan shrugged “Might be. Been looking for you.”

That…didn’t sound good at all. He’d been looking for him? Emilio didn’t even really know the guy besides for what he’d heard from the guys and the chop shop thing from Jesus. “Oh?”

“Yup. Gonna beat the shit out of you, actually.”

Emilio blinked blankly at Juan as his heart froze as though he was playing an MMO game and the internet fucked up. This did not sound good at all. Why would Juan want to beat up Emilio of all people? Plus, who went and actually _told_ someone that they were going to beat them? God, even if Emilio had wanted to be a gangster, he was so not street at all. The gangster part of his father would be so ashamed. “That’s quite the plan you have there.”

Juan shrugged again as he checked out his nails like they were just passing the time in a friendly chat. “My buddy fucking your sister didn’t appreciate you blackening his face. I laughed at him and told him that if he couldn’t handle a fag then that was his problem but then I realized that if he did beat you like he wanted to, no more fucking, you know? He’s playing it smart.” Looking up at Emilio with a big smile, he added “I love beating fags tambien, so it worked out nicely anyways.”

Fury flared at the mention of Jesus. Of course it had to do with that asshole. Of fucking course. The anger must have flashed in his eyes because Juan grinned excitedly like their fight would be so much better with Emilio angry. And yeah, Emilio might have a better shot but he wasn’t an idiot.

He wasn’t going to be the winner here. No way in hell. Not to mention that this was a street fight; there weren’t teachers or students to stop this.

Either you won and walked away.

Or you were knocked unconscious.

Or you were beaten to death.

Emilio nodded slowly so he could have a chance to calm his frightened heart which would probably give him a heart attack before he even had the chance to die from fighting. “Ah.”

“Yup. Ah.”

  

* * *

 

Claudia sighed in exhaustion as she sat down beside Jay. “I’m going to drop,” she said in lieu of a greeting.

Her fellow nurse laughed and replied “Trust me, Claudia, we’re all tired. I’ve never met a nurse who _isn’t_ tired. Comes with job.”

So true. Not to mention that foot pain was inevitable. She was going to make sure she got a massage from Alondra tonight. Her youngest had scary strong hands that rivaled the strength in Raul’s.

And that was just freaky.

She’d always worried that Emilio might take after his father in the bad choices department but her troublemaker might end up being Alondra. Although Emilio hadn’t exactly been easy this week. “Eh, don’t be pathetic, boy. You’re only what? Mid-twenties? At least you don’t have kids to worry about yet.”

Jay shook his head in amusement. “Not yet, no, but I will. Olivia is expecting.”

Delight filled her at the news. Olivia was such a sweetheart. “Really? That’s fantastic! Congrats to both of you!”

“Thank you,” he said with a smile though his nerves were easily showing. “We’re nervous but we’ll figure it out I think. Plus, if I have trouble, I have my mom, her mom, our fifty aunts combined, and you. I like the sound of all that support.”

Laughing, Claudia replied “You guys will be fine. And I’ve had four and raised five, so if you guys ever need help, I’ll be more than happy to assist. I think by now I’ve got some decent technique under my belt. I like to think I’ve done a good job.”

“Of course you will be happy because you’re amazing that way,” the nurse laughed. He had only been working here for a year but him and Claudia had gotten along well since the beginning. He was the nice kind of easy-going that didn’t get annoying in the way that another certain nurse did.

When someone came rushing into the hall, they both perked up curiously. It was never good when someone was rushing in a hospital. Bad sign is what it was. It took Claudia a second because without her bubbly smile, she hardly recognized Christine in her worry. “Claudia!”

She shared a concerned glance with Jay before they both stood. “What’s wrong?”

Taking a few breaths, Claudia guessed from her rushing, she replied “I’m working E.R. today-”

“We know,” Jay said. “What’s wrong? Skip the details, get to the point. You’re worrying me.”

After a deep breath, Christine said “Emilio, Claudia.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Rushing and it had to do with Emilio? “Emilio?”

“They just brought him in. At first, I didn’t even recognize him but it’s bad, Claudia. Nobody is sure what happened exactly but it looks like someone beat him. Bad, Claudia, really bad.”

She froze in fear. Claudia was a nurse; she’d seen a lot. She was the wife of a detective; she knew a lot. But despite her iron nerves and stomach, when it came to her children she was always a complete mess. The thought that someone had hurt one of her babies always scared her.

And someone had beaten her beautiful boy.

“No one knows?” she asked quietly, trying to keep calm because panic would do her no good right now. She needed to call Raul now and see what he knew. Emilio should have been home, not arriving in the hospital.

Christine shook her head. “Some young man brought him in. Said he found him unconscious behind a market.”

Carefully calming herself with tiny little breaths that always worked well for her, she looked to Jay who immediately nodded, already knowing what she was going to ask. “I’ll take care of your patients. Go.”

Nodding a thanks because words weren’t necessary and a waste right now, she quickly followed behind Christine to the elevator, pulling out her phone as she did.

 

* * *

 

Raul was surprised to see Claudia’s name on the screen of his phone. She had a shift at the hospital today; it was rare when she’d actually use her phone. That meant it had to be an emergency. His stomach dropped with this thought. Emergencies were never good. “Please don’t be something bad,” he whispered as he opened the line.  Savelio’s head flew up at her desk across from him when she caught his words, worry written on her own face as she watched him answer. “Hello?”

He wouldn’t panic unless he had to. Calm was key especially in situations that he couldn’t assess right out. But when he heard Claudia’s own panicked one, Raul didn’t quite have that control anymore. “Emilio, Raul.”

Straightening quickly in his chair, Raul asked “What’s wrong with him?” Another fight maybe? For all the years Emilio had never gotten into trouble for, it seemed he was planning on making up for it this year. His eyes flicked to the little clock on his computer screen; Emilio should have been home by now.

The hysterics were just barely staying out of Claudia’s voice and that just made him feel a thousand times worse. He wanted to shout ‘just spit it out already’ but what good would that do? “I’m going to him now. He was brought into the E.R. a little while ago. Someone beat him unconscious, Raul. Someone beat my boy.”

Shock struck him silent. Someone had beaten his son to the point of unconsciousness. It wasn’t at school or else they would have called. That meant someone had followed him or was waiting for him to show. What the hell? Who would do that? He was cut out of his stupor by Claudia’s voice, “Raul?”

Standing up, he pointed at Savelio to follow. “I’m coming right now. I’ll be right there.” The last thing Claudia needed was to hear how scared he was. She had enough to deal with as it was, not to add his own emotions. Getting into the car after hanging up with his crying wife, Raul said to his partner “I need you to drop me off at the hospital.”

“Of course. Tell me what’s going on. I know something bad happened.”

He told her what Claudia had told him as they drove to the hospital. She insisted on getting down with him which, in truth, comforted him a bit. Company was always nice. They walked into the E.R, Raul grabbing for the nearest nurse and only feeling a little bad about how he did it. “Emilio Vidal, where?”

This nurse must have either seen Emilio or been around when he was brought in because she immediately knew who he was talking about. Pointing him in a direction, Raul rushed off with Savelio following. When they reached the designated room, Raul didn’t bother knocking and instead just rushed in.

The sight that met him wasn’t something he’d ever forget. His child should never look this way.

Claudia stood from her seat once he walked in and hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder. He kissed her ear and murmured soothingly to her until she was able to talk a bit more coherently. “He’s a mess, Raul.”

There was no disagreeing with that statement.

Untwining from Claudia, Raul walked to the bed where his only son lay. The only sound coming from his scarily still form was the beeping of the heart monitor. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took stock of the mess of his child.

Emilio’s face – hell it didn’t even look like his face – was puffy and bruised and split beyond any sort of recognition. They must have really just brought him in because his arm wasn’t in a cast yet and the angle it was twisted at was not something Raul liked looking at. His stomach was turning and all he could see was barely anything. Who knew what was going on inside.

Actually, from his own experience with beatings, Raul could very much imagine.

That just made him feel even more sick.

“How bad?” he asked with a cracked voice.

“Broken arm, ribs, nose,” a doctor said as he walked in. “A list of plenty more injuries. We’re taking him for surgery right now so if you could move, please?”

Nodding and getting to his feet as he swallowed his fear, Raul asked “For?”

The doctor and another nurse adjusted Emilio and his arrangement of tubes and machines as they carted him out. “Internal bleeding. We don’t know how long he was there before someone found him, so right now time is of the essence. Please, we’ll answer your questions after.”

Raul nodded once more because that was really all that he was capable of right now and watched as they took his boy away. Sighing in utter defeat, he sat down in one of the chairs. Claudia sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder though she had to slouch a bit being that she was taller than him. “Somebody almost killed our baby,” she whispered, his voice shattered with tears.

Wrapping an arm around her and kissing her temple, he murmured “Almost but didn’t. And we should be thankful for that much.”

Savelio sat next to him and said “Who brought him in?”

“Some man. I think he’s still in the E.R. waiting room actually,” Claudia answered shakily.

Looking to his wife in surprise, Raul asked “Really?” She nodded in reply. Standing and looking to Savelio, he said “I think we have someone to interview.”

Walking into the small emergency room waiting area, Raul scanned the people sitting. He could just call out and ask but then he didn’t have to because his eye caught on something he recognized.

Emilio's backpack. It was typical black but it sported both a Puerto Rico key chain and a Yankees one. His son wasn’t huge on baseball but Joseph loved had it so Emilio put in his effort in loving it too.

Tapping Savelio to follow, Raul walked over to a man that looked to be in his early twenties. He was tapping his leg up and down nervously, looking around the room like he was waiting for something or someone. When Raul and his partner sat down in the chairs across from him, the young man looked up, bright green eyes flicking from each person. "Can I help you?"

Making himself comfortable in the incredibly uncomfortable chair as if it were possible, Raul said "Yes, actually. Or at least I sure hope so. Are you the one who brought in the-"

"Yes! The one who was beaten? Is he gonna be okay?"

"Can you tell me about anything you know, please?"

Examining them carefully, the man asked "Who are you guys first?"

Pulling out his badge and Savelio doing the same, Raul said "Detectives Vidal and Savelio."

Recognition flashed in the young man's face. "Vidal? I'm pretty sure I read that on the dude's I.D."

It wasn’t nice of him but he wondered if this guy had stolen anything from Emilio’s wallet. Not that there was much anyways besides maybe a few bucks. "You did. He's my son."

"Oh shit, man. I'm sorry..." The man rubbed his buzzed head and murmured "Really sorry, man."

Sighing, Raul said quietly "Thank you. So can you tell me anything you got? We can start with where you found Emilio?"

"Yeah, yeah. Uh, my name's Brian Fysher by the way. In case you need that and stuff. Uh, nineteen too." Nodding as she wrote in her little pad, Savelio gestured for Brian to continue. "Okay, so...I was walking down the street, uh, over on Washington, and I just finished my gyro sandwich and I had to throw away my wrapper, right? So there aren't any trash cans on that section of street so I went to the dumpster behind that market there I was passing..."

"Please tell me you're not going to say that you found him in the dumpster..." Raul murmured while rubbing his forehead.

Brian was silent for a second with wide eyes that easily answered the question. “Uh…” Raul sighed and made a circular motion with his hand for Brian to keep going. “Yeah, so, I found him, freaked the fuck out, then checked him for I.D. because I’m a good guy and shit. Wasn’t just gonna leave him there.” Thank fuck, Raul couldn’t help but think. “The smiling face on the school I.D. was completely different than who was on the ground. You'd think they were two different people."

Raul couldn’t help but agree. The person in the hospital bed did not look like his beautiful child. "Thank you for finding him. And for saving him. I guess that's all you know?"

Nodding sullenly, Brian replied "I wish I could help more..." Handing Raul Emilio's bag, he asked "Is it alright if I stay? I wanna know if he makes it okay."

Cocking his head, Raul studied the young man in front of him. Most people would simply move on once the ambulance arrived. Many wanted to avoid having to talk to the police at all. But Brian had not only come in the ambulance to make sure Emilio made it but also waited to make sure he could speak to someone and give Emilio's things to the police rather than a nurse.

"Yes, of course. It's the least I could do. They just took him in for surgery when I came looking for you. You're welcome to see him once they're done."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Just a quick thing, you guys might have noticed that sometimes the quote preview isn't exactly what you find in the next chpt. So I had written Emilio's story months ago but I'm rewriting it in a new doc and things are being changed and rearranged so it's even better. Every thurs, I rewrite the chpt so sometimes, I just use a quote from the old doc that I'm pretty sure I'm going to use when I rewrite the next chpt.  
> So that's why
> 
> That's also why I don't need to hiatus this story like Proko's because everything is technically already written and just needs revision instead
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> _“He’s drugged within an inch of his life! He doesn’t know what he’s saying!”_

Jax came bouncing over, looking super odd as he did because he was trying to rush but act like he wasn’t rushing. It was like a weird ass version of speed walking. “Nothing,” he whispered in such a loud ass whisper that it wasn’t even worth whispering. Why the fuck was he whispering anyways?

“Where the hell is he?” Marcus muttered after a huff of frustration. How the fuck was he supposed to make things right if the boy he wanted to apologize to wasn’t even here?

Taking a seat beside Marcus on the tabletop, Sean said “Maybe he just didn’t come today?”

Yeah, that was his fear right now. With a groan after dropping his head into his hands, Marcus whined “I hate me dudes. So fucking much. How stupid can I be?”

“But you know how to fix it now,” Richi snorted with a mouthful of rosary, trying to raise Marcus’ spirit. “Just think, next week everything will be good between you and him and y’all will be all gross and kissing and rubbing-”

“Stop,” Marcus cut in before Richi went somewhere that was so not his business. Sighing in defeat as he got to his feet, he murmured “And yeah, I guess, but we were supposed to be good _today_. So we have a banging nice weekend and shit. Not next weeeeek.”

“Aw, shit,” Sean laughed as they walked over to their usual table where everyone else was sitting, “Don’t start whining like a bitch you bitch.”

“Oh please,” Marcus replied with an affectionate eyeroll, “you would too. Let’s not forget that none of you shits have someone right now and are all living vicariously through me.”

“Only if you give us more deets,” Jax said with an amused cackle, “how else are we supposed to envision the art of gay love?”

Shaking his head because he didn’t feel like punching idiots today, Marcus greeted everyone who was at the table today as he took a seat across from Tanner. Richi dropped beside him and Sean leaned up over his shoulder before Jax could take that spot. Everyone at the table greeted them back but they all looked…incredibly amused like they’d just heard the best story ever.

And not in a good way.

“You guys wanna hear something good?” Tanner asked, excitement glowing in his blue eyes like the Pope himself had come and said hello to his Catholic ass. “Really good.” Marcus and his boys shared a look before shrugging. “So obviously we all remember faggy, right?”

Oh shit fuck.

When they shared a look again after Jax had shoved himself on Marcus’ other side, it was all concern because something told them that they were about to find out where Emilio was.

God let him be okay.

Marcus took a soft breath and nodded. “What about him?”

Tanner and a few other guys laughed like they had the greatest news on Earth. Victoria, who was sitting next to Tanner, looked a little worried and that just made Marcus even more nervous. “The bitch got jumped yesterday.”

His world froze.

“From what I’ve heard, there isn’t much left of the cunt.”

The world couldn’t stop forever and within a heartbeat, his stomach was bubbling so bad that Marcus was sure that he was about to throw up. Who the fuck would jump Emilio? Why would they? “From what you’ve heard?”

With a very wide and pleased smile because apparently everything was right in the world, Tanner replied “Heard he was walking and got jumped by a couple bangers. Those ones I’ve seen those times I’ve been to your place. Juan or whatever the hell his name is.”

His mouth was trying to form words but they were stuck in the lump in his throat. Juan? Oh Jesus Lord, Juan did not leave people in very good condition once he was through with them. But why? It wasn’t like Juan knew Emilio or that Emilio was even rich to get jumped for his shit. He had no shit, goddammit.

Richi found his voice before any of them with fear lacing every word that bumbled out of his mouth. “Juan jumped Emilio? Oh fucking shit…”

“How bad?” Sean practically whispered, his dark eyes wide with worry but his fists clenched with either his frustration or anger.

The quarterback was watching them keenly like he was trying to figure out where all the emotion was coming from, his eyes flicking from one to the other to the other to the other. “Don’t know exactly but some guy found him and got him to a hospital. A bad beating apparently.”

Yup, he was so going to throw up right now. His sexy bastard, beaten? Fuck his life, fuck his stupid life. Maybe if they hadn’t fought, Emilio might not have been alone and what if Marcus could have been there for him? Juan would have at least thought twice about taking on two people, especially because Marcus knew that his height and broad frame made him look intimidating. Steadying his panicked voice because he was so not letting anyone see how scared he was, Marcus asked “This info accurate or you pulling shit from your ass?”

Tanner looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. “First off, my info is always good, you know that. Don’t fucking question me for that stupid fag. Second off, why the hell do all four of you look so fucking worried?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that it was because the love of his life had just got beaten by his neighborhood’s gangster but a voice cut him off before he got the chance. A voice he definitely hadn’t been expecting.

Mr. Vidal.

“He better be fucking worried,” Mr. Vidal all but snapped as he was suddenly beside the bench, his eyes literally screaming murder and agony which was a new look because Marcus had only ever talked with the man when he was in a good mood. The one who stood before him now was not the good-humored guy that he knew. “Or else something sure isn’t fucking right.”

Exhausted too. Definitely looking exhausted like he hadn’t slept all night. And if what happened to Emilio was true, then they knew why. Fiddling with his fingers nervously, Marcus said in quiet surprise “Mr. Vidal?”

“Vidal?” Tanner said in confusion while Victoria stared with wide eyes upon seeing a man who probably used to be really nice to her, “Like Em-”

“Like Emilio Vidal, yes,” Mr. Vidal interrupted, the anger just staying at the very bottom of his words. Sure as hell didn’t stay out of his personality though because he gave every single person the nastiest look Marcus had ever seen. “If you’re all fucking finished mocking and making fun of the fact that my child was beaten unconscious by the fucking ghetto shit on the street,” he motioned to Marcus and his buddies, “I’d like to talk to these idiots right here.”

Everyone, even Tanner, looked embarrassed and some even slightly ashamed. Victoria was practically trying to slide under the bench like she was hoping that Emilio’s father would forget that he saw her. Clearing his throat, Tanner nodded and gestured for Mr. Vidal to take the floor.

Looking to Marcus and running his gaze over the other guys, Mr. Vidal said “I need a simple yes or no. That’s it. Facial recognition for this quality of video will take time that I don’t want to bother wasting. Technically, I can’t speak to you guys without either permission or supervision but I don’t have the time to jump through a billion legal hoops. Understood?”

They all nodded quickly as Mr. Vidal took out his phone and looked for something. The woman beside him smiled and asked “How are you guys?”

Wow, small talk. Not the time, lady. “Fine, thanks,” Marcus replied politely, “I don’t think we’ve been introduced?”

Sticking out her hand for a proper handshake which Marcus accepted, she introduced herself. “Detective Kehaulani Savelio at you service.” She nudged Mr. Vidal with her shoulder, completely ignoring his temper. “This guy’s partner for…wow, eight years now. Damn. Time flies. It feels like only yesterday I met him and the family. They were these adorable little kids and now look at them. God. It’s crazy really; one minute Emilio is like this adorable smiley-”

Finding what he wanted, Mr. Vidal interrupted them by shoving his phone in front of Marcus and the boys. He pointed to one of the three figures, “Yes or no? Juan?”

Seeing was entirely different than hearing. It was only a still of the video, three figures standing with one with his back to the camera.

That one was Emilio.

“Yes,” Jax answered before pointing at the second figure beside Juan. “And that’s Carlos. He’s like Juan’s second hand. Does everything with ‘im. They’re fucking inseparable.”

“He had to fight both of them?” Richi whispered around his rosary with his eyes glued to the still. “Fucking hell.”

Breathing in deep like it was the only thing keeping him in control right now, Mr. Vidal pocketed his phone and nodded while grinding his jaw. “I’d call it more one-on-one until they got bored and it became ‘let’s see how bad we can fuck him up.’”

Fuck. Marcus probably would never watch that video because it hurt just hearing about it. It must’ve- “Wait, did you watch it?”

“I’m a detective, so obviously I did.” There was so much scathing sarcasm laced in those words that Marcus was surprised that he wasn’t bleeding from their sharpness.

The words didn’t seem to sit well with his partner as she snapped “I told you I’ll watch it and you interview around the neighborhood but I remember a very explicit ‘no.’ You didn’t need to watch it. Fucking hell, Raul, you _shouldn’t_ have watched it.”

Marcus totally agreed. It had to hurt watching your child being beaten and knowing that you weren’t there for him. But Mr. Vidal didn’t bother deigning her words with a reply, his jaw just clenching all the more tighter as Sean asked quietly “How bad? I’ve seen what Juan does and…it’s not pretty.”

No, no it wasn’t.

“Pretty is definitely not a word I’d use,” Mr. Vidal sighed as the tension flooded out of his body in defeat. Crouching to bench height and resting his arms on the table and his forhead atop them, he murmured “Good variety of broken bones, ruptured spleen which they removed and was the cause of internal bleeding, one of his lungs collapsed from his broken ribs so he’ll…” his hands clenched into tight fists as the words fought to come out “he’ll be…on a breathing tube for a little while but it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been.” When he fell silent, Marcus thought that they’d lost him in his worry but eventually Mr. Vidal added “And the typical sorts of cuts and bruises.”

Honestly, Marcus wasn’t sure how Mr. Vidal was functioning right now because Marcus himself felt like shutting down with these words. All this happened to his beautiful badass?

He wished he knew how to kick Juan’s ass.

“But…he’ll…Emilio will be alright? He’ll get better fine, right?” Marcus didn’t miss the way everyone stared at him like they were trying to figure out a grand mystery. “Mr. Vidal?”

There was a heavy sigh from the hidden face before Mr. Vidal raised his head and got to his feet, nodding slowly. “So says the doctor – with time obviously – and we’re all holding hope to those words. And, of course, prayers never hurt.” Giving one last slow nod as he drifted into his thoughts for a moment, he added after a deep breath “Thank you guys.”

He began to walk off and Marcus knew that if he didn’t say something now, he’d lose his chance. He was sick of lost chances this week. “Mr. Vidal?” he called out before the man went out of earshot. Emilio’s father stopped and turned, a curious light in his eyes just barely overpowering the pain. “Um…it’s alright if me and the guys come by? The hospital, I mean? To see Emilio? A little later to visit?”

Lord, he was blabbing like a nervous lovesick fool.

A small amused smile grew on the man’s face and Marcus had the embarrassing feeling that he knew something about what was going on between Marcus and Emilio. Just fantastic that. “I believe that’s up to Alondra. She’s now his self-appointed protector for the indefinite future. You’re gonna have to make it through her and let me warn you, Latinas kick ass and, well, from what I’ve heard, she seems to want to kick yours.”

Marcus’ face heated in both shame and embarrassment as his boys laughed at him. Wait until they found at that Alondra was eight and Mr. Vidal was literally being serious. “From what you hear?”

That smile just grew a little larger and Marcus felt good about being a highlight in the man’s day, even if it was at his expense. “I haven’t been told the specifics but from what Alondra the grand spy and eavesdropper has put together for me is that the reason I’ve been putting up with a moody moping attitude filled bastard the past few days is you.”

Oops.

“So,” Mr. Vidal continued with a shrug, “figure out how to bribe the eight year old gatekeeper and you just might be golden. Though, really, Alondra has never been one for bribes; trust me, I’ve tried. But the rest of you guys are more than welcome in her book. No x’s beside your names as far as I know.”

Lovely. Sighing with defeat as he waved a goodbye to the detectives, Marcus covered his face with his hands and groaned out his frustrations. Who gave a fuck if everyone was staring? Fuck it, man. Anyways, he was going to tell them about him and Emilio anyways so…yeah. Let him groan in peace, goddammit.

“So…?” Sean trailed, “what’re we gonna do?”

With a huff, Marcus turned and asked Richi who had his own younger sister “How do we bribe little girls?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Sorry that Ivo Snapshot isn't up yet! So many things keep coming up and I don't want to put up a crappy story just for putting it up, you know?
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> _“I don’t generally go for older ladies but holy shit.”_

Marcus waited patiently, tapping his fingers on the tabletop as he did. Any minute now and the silence would break. And he was ready for it; bring it the fuck on.

“You guys want to explain why faggy’s dad seems to know you guys so well? Personally even,” Tanner said with this accusing look in his eyes like there was anything to even accuse about. “Let’s start there. Don’t tell me you guys made friends with the bitch.”

His buddies looked to him to answer and Marcus felt like it was a grand test. _Tell the truth_ was written in each of their eyes. They were waiting for him to admit it finally.

Did he love Emilio or not?

Marcus did. All the fucking way. He was more than positive of that now.

Straightening in his seat while rolling his shoulders to loosen up some of the tension held tight in his body, Marcus laced his hands together in front of himself on the table and replied “Actually, Emilio’s my boyfriend.”

That felt better than he could have ever imagined. It was like the rush of happiness you got when you realized that you got the toy you wanted in your Happy Meal. That sort of ‘oh, fuck yeah!’

Damn, it felt really good.

His words were, of course, met with a complete lack of sound, not a single soul of the many crowded around the tables saying a thing. Marcus was a little worried that they weren’t even breathing. But he could feel the waves of pride from his boys and next to Emilio’s affection, he’d never felt anything that awesome before.

Eventually, Victoria beat even Tanner to speaking up first. “I’m sorry, did you just say that Emilio’s your boyfriend? Seriously?”

She…looked what might be a little jealous and that just made Marcus feel even better. He wasn’t even sure why it did, but it did. Even the anger and disgust in Tanner’s eyes made him feel good. “I really hope this is all some stupid ass joke. We’ve been friends since kids, man, and I know that you’re not some faggot.”

With his fury boiling on a nice simmer in the pit of his stomach, Marcus clenched his hands tightly and hissed “No, I’m not. Nobody is that stupid fucking word of yours. I’m demisexual; look it the fuck up and maybe learn something for once in your life.” Tanner was looking entirely unimpressed and unaffected so Marcus decided to up the harshness in his voice. “You need to stop using that word before I beat it the fuck out of you. Emilio’s not a fag either; he’s bi which I seem to remember him explaining after he kicked your lame ass.”

Bringing up his sorry loss to Emilio made Tanner madder than anything else could have ever made him. He was about ready to snap something, his entire pale face flushed in anger but Matt cut him off. “So you,” he asked curiously like all he wanted to do was understand as he crouched by the bench, his chin resting on the tabletop, “Marcus Deresse, thee badass fucker that you are, are telling us that you’re with shortstuff Puerto Rican? With a dude?”

At least it didn’t sound accusing or revolted. “I, Marcus Deresse, am saying that I am with this amazing person who happens to be a guy. I don’t give a shit about gender; I like what I find on the inside. The only difference between me dating…like…Lydia,” he didn’t spare a glance over to her because he didn’t want to know what she was thinking as he used her as an example, “and Emilio is that he’s got a dick and sex is gonna go a little differently.”

Sean, Richi, and Jax all whooped in laughter with a mixture of hoots and whistles as other people looked at him with either revulsion, surprise, or careful consideration. Tanner, of course, was looking incredibly disgusted. “How long?”

Raising a brow, Marcus asked “How long what?”

“How long have you been going behind my back and fucking that fag? I’m your friend and have been for years and you dump it all because you wanted to taste the runt’s dick?”

Marcus was more than sure that if he clenched his fists any tighter, he was going to make nail-shaped holes in his hands. But he refused to react; the last thing this day needed was him getting into trouble for a fight. “Number one, don’t fucking call him that. I already covered that and the next time you say it, I swear to fucking God that there won’t be much left of you.”

Tanner’s eyes blazed but there was a small hint of fear in there that Marcus liked. “Number two?”

“Two, you bitch, is that since you seem so curious to know, we haven’t even had sex yet. Hell, I’m dying for the day that I actually get to see him naked instead of just in my fantasies.” Tanner and some other guys’ faces soured which only made him and his guys laugh. He laughed harder when he noticed that Victoria seriously did look jealous.

Made him feel great.

“Three,” he continued with a big smile on his face because he was feel damn good right now, “is that if you’re a true friend, you back me up for whatever the fuck I want to go after. Fucking duh, bitch.”

“I can’t…I can’t fucking _believe_ you!” Tanner blew as he got to his feet. The fucker may be big but Marcus had always been taller so getting to his own feet fixed the balance back where it was supposed to be. In his favor. “You and me? We’re fucking _done_. It’s your fa- _bi_ boyfriend or me. I’m not gonna hang around something so disgusting.”

Snorting, Marcus stepped out from the bench and replied “You make it sound like you just gave me the hardest decision of my life. I’d pick Emilio over you any day. You can’t even amount to a third of the person he is.” Walking away with his friends backing him up, Marcus remembered he hadn’t answered the question. Spinning back around, he added with a laugh “Oh, and me and the love of my life? We been together since he kicked your sorry ass.”

  

* * *

 

Groaning and practically crying in pain as his eyes fluttered open and his body became aware of the world, Emilio blinked across the room. Not at a ceiling because apparently he was partially reclined for whatever reason. But really, he didn’t care about the reason because all he wanted to do was scream in agony.

Everything fucking _hurt._

He had an oxygen tube thing wrapped around his head and on his face and he felt like something was searing his side but that was nothing compared to the pain of just _breathing._

Lord help him he just wanted to cry.

Medicine. He needed medicine.

Tentatively reaching around with his hand for that stupid damn button that was supposed to be around somewhere, Emilio literally did cry from both his frustration and pain because it didn’t want to make its stupid being shown and he was in agony. It didn’t help that he was one-handed with the other arm being in a thick ass cast.

Emilio blinked in confusion when Alondra was suddenly in front of him and pressing a kiss to his head. “Stop,” she murmured as she went around the bed and, lo and behold, found that damn button. “You’re going to hurt yourself like that, Em. Don’t move too much.”

Why was she here? That was weird, wasn’t it? Honestly, Emilio wasn’t too sure. He couldn’t even grasp what the hell was going on to figure out what the fucking day was. Shakily pushing the oxygen from his mouth, he practically squealed “What..re you doing…here?”

Pushing the button _twice_ – thank fucking God, he couldn’t wait for that to kick in – Alondra set the thing back down, this time where he could easily access it, and brushed his hair back. “I’m taking care of you. Duh.” Adjusting the oxygen back on his face, she murmured “You keep that on you so you can breathe nice and easy.”

“Day?” he mumbled through the stupid thing.

“Friday,” she replied softly, softer than he’d ever heard her speak. Alondra just didn’t do soft. Except for him apparently. “Mama left a little while ago and papa should be around soon to check on you.”

It’d only been a day? Fucking hell, it felt like he’d been out for _weeks_.

His sister was still softly brushing his hair back and talking even softer as Emilio felt his eyes get heavy. Damn good drugs, damn gooood. “I’m your knight now and I’ll kick everyone’s asses who even look at you weird.”

In his mind, he totally laughed at that. Bodily, he was so drugged that you would’ve never guessed that he’d even heard.

“Alicia and Linda came to see you and will be back of course. Maria’s on her way right now and I think Jesus is coming with her-”

Somewhere, a little bomb went off in his mind telling him that something was a warning signal. Something that he was supposed to say maybe? He couldn’t think straight.

“-wonder if papa’s gonna tell abuela to come. She’s been in Connecticut too long anyways. No way she’s having more fun there then she does here.”

Boy fucking his sister… His boy fucking his sister… “Jesus,” he mumbled out, not even sure if it was understandable. “No.”

“What’s that?” Alondra asked curiously, her light brown eyes sparkling with thought. “Em?”

“Jesus,” Emilio slurred out around the fog of drugs and the oxygen tube, “No. An…d…no…M’ria.”

“No Maria?” Alondra repeated in surprise, that part being the important part apparently. “Why no Maria? She wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“No.”

Emilio’s little sister looked confused but if anything came out of her mouth, fuck if he heard or remembered it.

 

* * *

 

“Hi, we’re looking for Emilio Vidal’s room?” Marcus asked the man at the circulation desk as politely as he could with a nice smile. He was a little nervous that Alondra wouldn’t let him in because they’d all decided that trying to bribe her would be ridiculous but Marcus was thinking that maybe being truthful would be his best route.

She was just fucking eight, he could do this.

After doing some computer checking, the man replied “Fourth floor, 423.”

“Thank you,” Marcus said before he and his friends made their way to the elevator. He fiddled with the flower he’d brought, Mrs. Sanchez being sweet and having given it to him from her personal garden, as the doors closed. It was only one but it was beautiful so hopefully it’d make a nice impression.

Jax kept staring at him, Marcus’ leg bouncing as the elevator climbed its way up. “Dude, you’re making me nervous and I don’t even have reason to be. Stop and chill.”

“Agreed,” Sean laughed as they stepped out of the elevator and walked down the halls.

“Sorry,” he muttered grudgingly as they turned a corner to the noise of a girl yelling.

Hold up…that was Alondra’s voice.

“I said NO!”

“Alondra, stop being stupid! Move!”

They halted a few feet away from the scene, Alondra red faced with her fists clenched at her sides as she faced off with a taller girl that had a head full of curls pulled into a ponytail. A man was behind her and a nurse between the two girls, a look of distress on her face. Marcus had met three of the four sisters so…this had to be the fourth, right? Emilio had said that she was from the first wife so maybe that was why she didn’t look quite the same as them.

She sure had their fiery attitude though.

Had to be a Puerto Rican thing.

And he meant that in an adoring sort of way.

“It’s still a no!” Alondra snapped, “And I’m not being stupid! You picked your stupid fiancé, not Emilio. So that means that you don’t get to see him!”

Looking incredibly frustrated and angry, Maria hissed “Just move! You’re being ridiculous right now!”

“Emilio said no! That means no!”

This girl sure knew how to stand her ground. Damn.

Maria tried going around her younger sister but that girl just did not give up that easily. Alondra even got shoved but that sure as hell didn’t stop her from preventing Maria from going in. Maria huffed and gave in for a minute as she crossed her arms. “What do you mean he said no?”

Crossing her own arms and standing even more defiantly, Alondra replied “When he woke up a little while ago, I told him how we all came and that you were coming to make sure he’s okay. He said you and your garbage don’t get to come in. No Maria, no Jesus.”

There was a small flash of hurt on Maria’s face but the man who must be Jesus just laughed. “Fag’s dramatic, ain’t he? I even bothered to come too.”

In seconds, Maria’s face turned from pissed at her sister to pissed at her fiancé and she looked ready to snap something but Alondra beat her as she shouted “Don’t call him that!” Jesus just laughed some more which only pissed off the sisters more.

And then suddenly, Jesus was on the floor, clutching his balls, Alondra standing defiantly above him.

Marcus and his friends burst into laughter at Jesus’ expense as he sat there cupping his balls and groaning. The sisters turned to look at them, Alondra looking annoyed and Maria curious. “I’m mad at you,” Alondra said, glaring at him and actually making him feel ashamed.

She was good.

“I know,” Marcus sighed as he nodded. “Honestly, I’m pretty mad at myself. But I’m going to fix it; I’ve done half and, well, I’m really hoping that you’ll let me do the other half?”

“If not,” Richi chimed in with a snort of amusement, “can he at least keep his balls?”

Giving his buddy a glare to which Richi just shrugged, Marcus crouched down as Alondra walked over to him. “Look, I know I fu-screwed up. Big time. And that kills me. But I know I can fix it if you’ll allow me passage, oh valiant knight?”

Looking amused by his choice of words, Alondra carefully took the carnation from his hand. “It’s very pretty. But Emilio deserves more than just _one_ flower.”

“You Marcus?” Maria cut in curiously.

He gave her a quick nod but focused on the one who was or wasn’t going to let him see the boy who stole his heart. “He deserves a shit ton of flowers. Fuck, I meant a whole lot.” Slapping his face as he laughed because he was just dropping curse bombs left and right, he snorted “Anyways, he deserves billions but…I’m kinda broker than you guys. But when I’m rich, I’ll totally buy him _all_ the flowers.”

Biting her nail as she handed back the flower, Alondra replied with a smile “You better because he’s the best.”

“May I deliver my flower, gatekeeper?”

“If you hurt him again,” Alondra threatened so seriously that Marcus would totally believe any threat that came from her right now, “I’ll break your man parts so bad that they’ll never work again.”

Laughter erupted from the guys but Marcus didn’t bother because he so knew that it was true. “I won’t ever again,” he swore.

Jesus rose to his feet shakily, the pain still visible in his movements. “You the fag’s fag? Who gives the dick, you or him?”

“You plan on getting your face broken today?” Marcus snapped as he got his feet, standing to his full intimidating height. “Because it can be arranged.”

“It just might have to be.”

“Papi!” Alondra exclaimed in delight as he bounced over to her father, hugging him tight around the waist. “Papi, Maria called me stupid.”

Lifting her despite her height, Mr. Vidal looked to Maria. “Why’d you call your sister stupid?”

Seeming incredibly annoyed, Maria replied “She won’t let me in! I’ve been standing for literally twenty minutes already! This is ridiculous, papa!”

Mr. Vidal looked at the girl in his arms, “Why won’t you let your sister in?”

Alondra practically glared at her father. “Papa, I’m the guard; I’m guarding him.”

“I know that but I didn’t think it applied to Maria. It didn’t apply to Alicia and Linda.”

Those words made Maria look even more irritated than she already was. Even a little jealous too. Then it turned to a mixture of hurt as Alondra said “Well, I didn’t either until Emilio told me so and as his knight, I must uphold his word.”

“Emilio told you?” Mr. Vidal asked in surprise.

“Well,” Alondra replied while making a face, “kind of. He was hurting a lot but he said no Maria and no Jesus.” Grabbing her father’s face and looking upset, she added “Hurting a lot, papa. Like, he was actually _crying_.”

Fuck his heart, Marcus was about to cry just from hearing that. Mr. Vidal rubbed his face tiredly as Alondra slid down. “Yeah, I bet so.”

“So I can’t let them in because he doesn’t want them to. That means no garbage and no traitor.”

“Hey,” Mr. Vidal said disapprovingly.

“Papa, she wants her stupid guy whose just garbage and is mean to Emilio. That makes her a traitor.”

Looking thoughtful as he leaned on the wall, Sean murmured to himself “That’s some good logic there.” He blushed when everyone turned to stare at him. “Well it is.”

Maria put her hands on her hips, looking a mix of so many emotions that Marcus couldn’t break one from the other anymore. “Papa, he’s had _surgery_ for God’s sake and you’re not going to let me see him?”

He wasn’t sure when was the last time he’d seen someone look so conflicted. Scratching the back of his head, Mr. Vidal looked to Alondra still beside him. “Is Emilio still awake?”

The little girl who sure wasn’t the height of a little girl shook her head to the negative. “He was hurting so bad. I kinda drugged him so he could fall back asleep.”

Sighing and clenching the bridge of his nose tiredly, Mr. Vidal said “Wait until he wakes up, mija, and we’ll go from there.”

“Seriously?” Maria exclaimed in complete shock. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Seriously. I’m not going to go against his wishes right now. Wait and we’ll see what happens.”

Pissed was an understatement to what Maria was looking right now, her eyes flashing in anger and her body tense. “He’s drugged within an inch of his life! He doesn’t know what he’s saying!” Throwing an arm in Marcus’ direction, she asked “Are you going to let him in?”

Glancing in Alondra’s direction who nodded, Mr. Vidal answered “Yes.”

“Unbelievable. The asshole boyfriend gets to go in but I don’t.” Marcus resented that but he stayed silent. He didn’t want his entry ticket to be revoked. That was the last thing he needed right now.

“Just wait-”

“And we’ll work it out,” Maria finished tiredly as she slumped down into a chair in defeat. “Yeah, I heard you.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Emilio's story hit 100 this past week so we must celebrate! Amazing how our milestones all hit within like a couple weeks. In celebration, enjoy an extra chapter!
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> _“Pretty boy. You just gonna stand? He’s asleep, you ain’t gotta hang around.”_

“Do you want a cup for your flower?” Alondra offered Marcus, “I can put some water for it. We can’t have it turn ugly before Emilio gets to love it.”

Raul couldn’t help the small smile that grew on his face as he watched Alondra dig out a cup from a cabinet and fill it from the sink. And everyone said she was a terror; she could be sweet when she wanted to, thank you. Marcus wordlessly handed her the flower, his wide eyes still glued to Emilio’s sleeping form. Yeah, he was a hell of a sight to walk into.

Slouching into his chair and shutting his eyes, Raul listened to the quiet murmurs of the boys and the steady beating of the heart monitor as he thought. Both Juan and Carlos had easily been arrested – the video was plenty of proof – but they were stuck on motive. They didn’t _need_ one being that they had proof but it bugged the fuck out of Raul in not knowing why two bangers jumped his kid.

“Juan comes around the project, yeah?”

Silence met his question before Jax replied “Uh…yeah. He lives around there. Most of his crew do and some of them even in the project. He comes all the time. Why?”

He didn’t know, he was just reaching here. “But he’s never met Emilio?”

“Not that I think,” Sean answered, Raul easily able to imagine him making that ‘thinking’ face he did. It was the weirdest face Raul had ever seen. He’d scrunch one brow down, one up, his mouth would twist to the left and his nose would scrunch on itself.

It made it seem like he was thinking really hard when…they all knew that he wasn’t.

Sorry, Sean.

Tapping a finger on the arm of the chair, Raul hummed in response at the conundrum he found himself at. It just didn’t make sense. Why would-

A groan interrupted his thoughts.

Eyes flying open and sitting up quickly, he stood and leaned over Emilio, softly running a hand through his hair. “Emilio? Mijo?” He just needed to see his eyes open, hear his cheery voice, and his heart would ease just a little from the tightness he’d found himself facing. Another groan sounded and Raul pressed a soft kiss to his son’s forehead and whispered “Mijo, c’mon, open those eyes for me.”

Marcus stood and came closer on the other side, though he kept a few inches between himself and the bed. “Emilio? Yo badass, it’s rude to not greet your guests, man.”

“He even stole a flower for you!” Jax said, a wishful excitement sitting in the base of his words. “It’s all red and pretty.”

“I didn’t steal it,” Marcus snorted as he flipped off Jax, “She gave it to me.”

“Lies.”

Raul was about to tell them to please shut up before Emilio groaned again and shifted in bed, his eyes slowly dragging open like his eyelids were the heaviest thing in the world. “Hola, mijo,” Raul said softly, brushing those sweaty hairs back some more because it was the closest thing to affection he was allowed to give. Hugs were too dangerous right now.

Emilio blinked blankly at Raul before recognition set in, his eyes laced with pain. With a few more blinks, he was starting to look more awake. “H..l…” he slurred around the oxygen tube.

Taking that as an ‘hola’ or maybe a ‘hello’ – same shit – Raul almost laughed with relief, kissing his beautiful child again before saying “Good to see you awake. I was worried Alondra might have drugged you too much.”

“Hey! I was careful!” Alondra exclaimed in annoyance as she carefully shoved herself in next to Marcus. “I can work a button, thanks.”

There was a glow of amusement in Emilio’s eyes as he turned to look at his sister, very very slowly, before he came to a halt. Grabbing a tissue and wiping the sweat from where Emilio’s head had met the pillow, Raul said “You’ve got a few visitors. Another outside too who’s quite angry at not being allowed to come in.”

“No.”

Well, at least he could get out short words. “No Maria or no Marcus? You’re going to have to be specific here. Your knight already granted Marcus access by the way.”

Marcus nodded solemnly, “She put me through the wringer, man. Swear to God, I was worried for the safety of my balls.”

“You should be,” Alondra snorted as she took the tissue from Raul’s hand and wiped her brother’s face. “But he passed my test, my lord.”

Emilio moved a shaky hand to push off the tube but Raul grabbed him before he could. “That needs to stay put right now. I know it’s bothersome but let’s keep it there until a nurse comes and checks you, okay?”

“Fi-n,” Emilio replied…maybe grudgingly? It was hard to tell right now. His gaze turned to the bright red carnation sitting in a plastic cup.

Alondra plucked it out and brought it closer for him to see. “Pretty, huh? It’s for you from Marcus. He stole it for you.”

“Oh my God,” Marcus groaned as he covered his face with his hands, his friends laughing at his expense, “Don’t believe that dumbass Jax, girl, I did not steal.” Uncovering his face and stuffing his hands in his pockets, he added with a shrug to Emilio “Although, I’d probably totally steal for you, just so you know.”

“Do try not to,” Raul sighed with a shake of his head. Focusing back on Emilio, he said “So I’ve got an upset Puerto Rican woman outside about ready to murder the next person who pisses her off. This particular lady wants to check on her brother-”

“No.”

Fuck him. He understood, he really really did, but… “At least a peek through the door-”

“No,” Emilio repeated, far firmer than anything Raul imagined he was capable of right now as he turned his head back to glare at Raul. “No.”

He flicked his head up as a knock came and Claudia stuck her head in. Good, maybe she could talk some sense into him. “Help me.”

Smiling brighter than maybe he’d ever seen her besides when the kids were born, she made her way over and kissed Emilio. While she was busy showering him in kisses and words of affection, Maria’s head poked in, flicking Raul a ‘well???’ glance.

Dammit.

“Ayúdame, Claudia,” Raul repeated as he made the hand gesture of ‘wait’ to Maria.

His wife turned her head to him curiously. “With what?” He nodded over to the door then nodded towards Emilio who was still enjoying being cuddled by his mother.

Wait…how come she was allowed to hug and he wasn’t? That was fucked up.

“Ah,” she murmured softly. Kissing Emilio’s head, she whispered “Mijo, I get that you’re still upset-”

“No,” Emilio said once more in frustration, harshly yanking off the oxygen making both Raul and Claudia cringe. Claudia tried to take it back but Emilio fisted it tightly in his working hand. “I…said no. How hard i…is that?”

Finally getting the tube back from Emilio but not putting it back on him, Claudia said softly “Emilio, amor, she just wants to see you. She’ll leave right after, okay? One minute is all.”

Anger flashed across Emilio’s tired and bruised face but he finally nodded. Raul waved Maria over, his oldest walking in hesitantly like she was just waiting for Emilio to throw her out. It wasn’t fair but neither was what she had put Emilio through. They were siblings and they’d just have to work it out themselves. No one could fix it for them. “Hi.”

Glaring at her, Emilio said nothing, probably counting down the seconds in his mind. Maria scooted in next to Raul and took stock of what was left of her brother in silence. Finally, she asked “Did you get the guys who did this?”

“I did,” Raul nodded, never loving security cameras more than right now, “They haven’t been formerly charged yet but Savelio put the paperwork in. Just got to get the whole ‘stamp of approval.’”

“Having Juan and Carlos off the street is gonna be weird,” Richi said in amazement around his nasty ass necklace. “Really really weird.”

“Juan and Carlos…” Emilio repeated quietly to himself, looking lost in his thoughts. Raising his left thumb to his mouth, Emilio chewed on it like he did when he was deep in his head.

“Should I be looking for anyone else?” Raul asked curiously. There were only the two in the video but Emilio sure seemed like he was thinking about it. “Mijo?”

“I…I can’t…I don’t know.” He looked irritated at himself like he was missing some big piece of the puzzle that he was supposed to know. “I can’t remember.” Making a pained face, Emilio rested his hand on his chest and took a few deep breaths. Claudia stuffed the tube back where it belonged before Emilio had the chance to protest.

When he reached to move it again, she stilled his hand. “No, leave it. Let’s keep it for a couple days, okay? I know it bothers but it’s helping in making sure you’ve got enough oxygen.”

“What’s that do?” Sean asked as he pointed to where Raul knew the box part thing – he wasn’t a doctor, don’t judge – of the chest tube was sitting.

Alondra seemed to think she was qualified enough for the question. “Oh, that’s the breathing thing. It’s connected to the tube they shoved in him.” Emilio’s eyes went wide because he didn’t exactly know anything about his condition yet as Alondra lifted her side of the sheet. “See?”

The guys cringed and really, Raul couldn’t blame them. But he was the father, he was supposed to cringe. “It’s not that bad.”

Marcus still had an uncomfortable look on his face as he leaned and glance closer at where they’d inserted the tube. “That’s…kind of disturbing to see.” Emilio’s head stayed sideways and Raul had a feeling that he was thinking the same thing. “Gonna make an awesome scar though,” Marcus tried to joke, giving Emilio a big smile.

Lord, was he trying hard. Raul would love to know what the hell had happened between them.

“Maria, you ready?” Jesus said, his head popping in the doorway. At least he had the decency to wait outside. Emilio’s head flew up at the sound of his voice, staring at Jesus, tilting his head as he did. Jesus nodded at Emilio, “Good to see you up.”

Raul couldn’t help but roll his eyes with Alondra and Claudia. Yeah, whatever. Emilio just kept blinking at Jesus, like there was something he just couldn’t grasp. Raul could tell it was weirding Jesus out, his nervous glance flicking back to Maria. “Ready?”

“I guess…”

“No, she’s not,” Emilio mumbled around the oxygen tube before pulling it out causing Claudia to huff and put her hands on her hips. “Sh..e’s not ready yet.”

Jesus shrugged. “That’s cool, just asking. Take your time.” He was about to disappear again but Emilio called him back. “Yeah?”

Blinking at Jesus hard, Emilio just…stared like there was something there that he just couldn’t grasp on to. Jesus waited, surprisingly patiently, as Emilio just kept staring. Finally, Emilio murmured “Jesus…”

“Uh…yeah?”

Tapping his finger on the bed, Emilio nodded like that was the answer to everything before glancing at Maria, looking like he could see into her soul, before turning back to Jesus. “Something…huh…”

“Yo, how much drugs you on?” Sean laughed, “You gonna share?”

Emilio didn’t even glance over but the corner of his mouth upturned in what Raul figured to be a smile. He raised the finger he’d been tapping with and pointed at Jesus. “Bruises.”

Touching his cheek, Jesus nodded. “Yeah, you gave them to me, remember? The fuck kind of shit they got you on, man? Damn.”

“Blackened…I did that.”

“Yeah,” Jesus replied in a tired and annoyed tone. “You did.”

He gave a small laugh and a shake of his head. “The buddy fucking my sister.”

Raul raised a brow and stared at Emilio because…seriously. Maria was making an uncomfortable face but kept her mouth shut, probably worried that he’d remember to throw her out. With a nod, Jesus said “I mean…if you want to be crude about-”

“You’re…h-his buddy fucking my sister. You.”

There was a knock in Raul’s brain telling him to pay attention to the tension in the room and the sudden unease on Jesus’ face. The buddy? Whose-

_“I’m working with an old buddy of mine…”_

Oh fuck. Seriously? Focusing closely on Jesus, Raul asked “You said Juan was a buddy of yours.”

The worry almost broke through the blank mask on Jesus’ face. “Yeah, okay, so?”

Maria glanced from her fiancé to her brother and back before a furious fire flashed in her eyes. Jesus Lord, did she look like Laticia right now. “Oh you piece of fucking shit,” she seethed, her fists closing tight, “How…I…I just…” Maria spared another glance to her wounded brother before yanking off her purse and slamming it into Raul’s chest, a vicious ‘hold this’ if there ever was one. “You had my brother jumped?”

“Motherfucker,” Claudia whispered, her jaw dropping. Alondra’s jaw dropped but for an entirely different reason. “Oh my God.”

Raising his hands up in defense, Jesus snorted “That’s just ridiculous. C’mon, me get Emilio jumped? That’s fucking stupid. Why would I do that?”

“Because,” Maria snapped, her body strung tight as she stared down her fiancé that Raul had a feeling wouldn’t be a fiancé anymore, thank the fucking Lord, “he hit you and you didn’t get to hit back. Because if you went to go beat up my brother, I would’ve kicked. Your. Ass. But you had the _nerve_ to ask someone else to do it. My brother could have _died._ ”

“Don’t be stupid, he wouldn’t have died-”

“He sure looks close. He has a fucking tube sticking out of him so he can _breathe._ They cut him open and took out his spleen,” Emilio made a curious sound at that, “not to mention a million other things. My brother is suffering because of you.”

Crossing his arms and sighing like this was a complete waste of time, Jesus replied in a bored voice “Again, stupidest-” he broke off with a groan as Maria slammed her knee into his groin – yes, Raul totally cringed with every other guy in the room – dropping him to his knees before she slapped him-

“Ultimate bitch slap,” Richi whispered to Sean.

-and ripped off the ring she had waited so long for, shoving it into his mouth. “If you ever come near me or my family again, I’ll rip your dick off with just my nails. I’ll file them to _points_ so they dig in nice and deep.”

“Oh, Jesus, my dick is quaking in fear,” Jax murmured with wide terrified eyes to, Raul assumed, himself, literally covering the important parts. “Like legit.”

“And then so help you God, I’ll yank that piece of nothing off of you.”

“Shit, I don’t usually go for older ladies, but, fuck, I want her.” Raul glanced over at Jaw who was still looking absolutely terrified. He must have felt the heat of Raul’s gaze because he turned and blushed before reverting his gaze back to Maria and Jesus.

“Oh my God, Maria,” Emilio huffed out as he clutched his chest softly, “please don’t go into any more detail. There’s a majority of…of…of guys in here…”

“And we happen to like not imagining brutal things happen to sensitive places, amor,” Raul finished with a laugh, “like really sensitive places.”

Everyone laughed minus Emilio who ended up heaving in pain and Jesus who was still heaving in pain, removing the ring from his mouth before shakily getting to his feet. “You know what? Whatever. I don’t need you-”

“Save the speech,” Maria interrupted, waving him off as she walked back over to Raul, dropping herself into his former chair, “I don’t need nor want it. Off you go.”

There was underlying hurt in Jesus’ eyes, not from the pain but from her words, but he said nothing as he clutched the ring tight. He looked seriously genuinely hurt but Raul couldn’t find it within himself to care. This breakup was like Raul’s dream come true. With one final huff, he turned to walk out the door but Raul called him back. “What.”

Smirking in triumph because damn had he waited for this day or something similar to come for _so_ long, Raul pulled out a zip tie from his pocket and held it up. His cuffs would have been better but he didn’t have them on him sadly. “Jesus Alvarez, you’re under arrest for the incitement of battery.”

Jesus’ jaw unhinged. “You’re joking, right? There’s no fucking proof-”

“Witness testimony,” Raul replied, practically gleefully as he walked over and yanked Jesus’ hands behind himself, lacing the zip tie shut nice and tight. “Of which, the witness heard from the _actual_ perpetrator. Don’t think you’ll manage to wiggle yourself out of this one. Sounds like a lose-lose for you, my friend.”

“Mr. V,” Jesus said quickly, panic apparent in his voice, “Mr. V, hold up. C’mon, seriously, I didn’t do no shit-”

“You have the right to remain silent,” Raul began as he pushed Jesus out of the room, “Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoyyy
> 
> _"I don't appreciate feeling like a nothing."_

Emilio let out a little sigh of pain as he tried getting a little more comfortable and grimaced when his mom reattached that stupid tube. It bugged the fuck out of him because he couldn’t speak right. Granted, normal speaking was hard and a little painful but with the tube, he had an extra hurdle to go through. And right now, of all times, speaking was important.

For both Maria and Marcus.

Ha, ha, two ‘m’s.’ That was funny, right? So funny?

“Fun’y,” he mumbled to himself around the tube. So yeah, the drugs were kind of messing with him but, hey, at least he’d been able to think through his fog. All he needed was to have Jesus acting like nothing had happened while knowing it was all his fault that Emilio had a tube in him and a piece missing. “See it?”

“See what, mijo?” his mother asked after kissing his forehead. He wasn’t usually down for so many kisses in one hour but he didn’t mind right now. Hospitals allowed for certain things. “What do you want to see?”

Saying ‘spleen’ around the tube was a lot harder than he expected it to be. He repeated himself about fifty more times before getting frustrated with the confused glances and removing the damn thing once more. “Spleen. M-My spleen. S’in a jar?”

“That’d be fucking weird,” Richi muttered with a shake of disgust running through his body. “Spleen in a jar? Ewwww.”

“Um, no, amor,” his mom laughed while petting his head, “It’s just gone now.”

“Oh,” Emilio said in disappointment, “I wanted to see.”

“It was a mess, I don’t think you’d have wanted to see that.”

“Aw, you got to see it? I’wan see…” he muttered begrudgingly. Who wouldn’t want to see a pulpy bloody mass? Was- “Was it like…like’n explosion?” Maria was laughing beside him, now clutching her purse which had been tossed back into her lap. “What? I want to know.”

Sighing and shaking her head, her mother pulled out her phone and put it in his face. “How sad is it that I actually took the time to take a picture. I know my kids.”

Emilio blinked at the picture before him. Damn, that’d been his spleen? Holy hell, the poor thing was like a popped balloon. “So cool. Joseph would’ve loved t’ see that.”

“Why?” Marcus asked, and if Emilio was up to par right now, he’d hear the jealousy loaded in those words. “Who’d love to see that?”

“Because,” Emilio tried to snort in a ‘duh’ voice but he had a feeling that he was unsuccessful, “he loves this stuff. Like…bio…oof, gimme…a…” he placed the oxygen on his mouth and took a breath before taking it off again, “Biology was always his favorite. The…body and stuff. Loves it. Used to dissect…dissect roadkill.”

“That’s seriously disturbing,” Sean muttered, his face looking disgusted. More than Richi had been about Emilio’s spleen. “Who the fuck dissects roadkill?”

He didn’t appreciate the superior tone. “In the name of science, fuck’n duh.”

“Dude, serial killers are the ones who dissect shit.”

“Actually,” Emilio corrected while wishing his face didn’t hurt so much so he could look pissed off instead of just like a puffy weirdo, “Serial killer…s kill animals, not jus’ dissect. Though he…def had the charm of one.”

“Who had charm of what?” his father asked as he walked back in, some guy trailing after him.

Emilio blinked at the man but had no idea who he was. Or maybe he just couldn’t place him. “Joseph the charm f’serial killer.”

With a snort and a shake of his head, his father sighed “Let’s try not to imagine him as one. Bet you if anyone was one, he’d be a pretty successful one. Too many books, that kid.”

“He just has the charm,” Emilio tried to snort, hoping that his voice came out as offended as it was supposed to. Joseph wasn’t a monster, thank you. Maybe a huge major piece of shit, sure, but not a monster. “God.” Blinking harder at the man with the prettiest green eyes, he asked “W’o this?”

“Oh, uh, I’m Brian,” the guy answered with a big smile. It was nice smile; the kind of smiles that Emilio really liked. Uber cute. “Good to see you awake and talking, let me tell you.”

Yeah, he had no idea who this guy was but that was okay. “So pretty.”

His father started choking on a laugh that he wouldn’t let out as the man blushed and self-consciously rubbed his head. “Uh…thanks.”

“Pretty eyes,” Emilio notified with a sure nod. If anyone brought up this conversation later, he was so blaming the drugs. They were looping him the fuck out. “So pretty with sparkles.” Turning his focus on his very red father, Emilio asked “Why’re you laughing? He’s pretty.”

“Gorgeous, I’m sure,” his father snorted.

Whatever, if this man wanted to sit there making fun when there was a pretty guy next to him then it was his loss. “Who’re you…Brian?”

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Brian replied with his pretty smile “I’m the guy who found you.”

“Oh! W-Well thank…” he paused as he tried to catch his breath, conversation just becoming too much for him right about now. That’d do him no good because… Emilio inhaled and winced with the sudden onset of pain. Before he even had a chance to relax himself, his mother put that stupid tube back in his mouth, firmly holding it in place. “H’s…”

“I know you hurt, mijo,” his mother said in a sad whisper, softly petting his head. “I know, amor, I know.” She reached over him but he was in too much pain to bother figuring out what she was doing.

And a few seconds later, sleep found him.

 

* * *

 

Mrs. Vidal kept petting Emilio’s head until his eyes stopped fluttering, sleep finding him, and the creases of pain erasing from his face. Cupping his face, Mrs. Vidal stooped down and kissed him before straightening and saying “I have to get back to my shift but try to make sure he keeps the oxygen on.”

“Are we supposed to be drugging him so much?” Mr. Vidal asked in worry, his usually carefree expression looking so tired and worn. It amazed Marcus how Mrs. Vidal always looked so energized, even now. “That’s not too soon? He just woke up.”

“No, he’s fine,” she replied, giving one last loving look at her son. “He’s doing good.”

“But he’s so hot and sweaty? And he doesn’t look good, nor sound good, and-”

“Who’s the nurse, Raul?”

Looking sheepish, Mr. Vidal shrugged and muttered “I’m just saying.”

Walking over to her husband, she kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear, too low for Marcus to even guess. She gave Brian a hug before wishing everyone goodbye, her gaze lingering on Emilio one last time before she walked out.

The Brian guy was still standing and running his gaze over Emilio. Honest to God, Marcus was extremely thankful to this guy but he didn’t like him hanging around. “You just gonna stand there?”

Everyone looked at him, Sean asking “Who?”

Marcus nodded over to Brian. “Pretty boy. You just gonna stand? He’s asleep, you ain’t gotta hang around.” He knew it sounded kind of…bad but…the fuck was this guy just standing around? He had no reason to. Fuck pretty boy. “Thanks and bye.”

Brian looked taken aback, sharing a glance with Mr. Vidal like that was okay. Pft, please. This dude didn’t just get to intrude. “Uh…you know what, I have to go anyways.” Glancing to Mr. Vidal beside him, he added “Is it okay if I come again?”

“We’d love to have you.”

He totally disagreed but something told him that his opinion didn’t matter in this. Marcus glared down Brian until he walked out before asking Mr. Vidal “What happened with Jesus?”

Mr. Vidal was doing that sort of scratch-rub at the neck as he looked at Marcus with a brow raised. “Apparently, Emilio has a thing for the possessive ones. Dear Lord help him.”

A blush heated his cheeks as everyone laughed at him like they’d never heard anything funnier. Which they had, thank you, it wasn’t that fucking funny. And he wasn’t appreciating all these…Joseph moments. Sure, everyone fell in love and adored their first love but come on. Marcus didn’t like being reminded that he was second best or need the constant need of wonder if Joseph wouldn’t have screwed up like Marcus had. “Jesus?”

Smirking like he’d just figured something out which Marcus had no clue what the hell that could possibly be, Mr. Vidal answered “Had one of the security hold him until another cop can come get him. I don’t particularly care to collar that one.”

Even after all this and Mr. Vidal was trying to be considerate for Maria’s sake. Damn good father right there. “Ah.”

“Are you jealous that Emilio called that guy pretty?”

The heat flushed his face all over again as Marcus turned to the laughter of his boys to stare at Alondra beside him. Damn this girl. “No.”

Looking particularly triumphant, Alondra crossed her arms and leaned on the side of Emilio’s bed. “Oh, I think so. That’s cute.”

“I’m not-”

“Emilio likes guys like that.”

His mouth clamped shut while his eyes flicked to his not-boyfriend sleeping peacefully, only a slight crease in his brow showing that he was aching. “Yeah?”

“Damn, Marcus, Emilio’s got you fucking whipped,” Richi laughed, plopping down into a chair. “Whipped like a fucking bitch, you bitch.”

“He likes big personalities,” Alondra continued matter-of-factly. “Like, Joseph was kind of socially awkward with people he didn’t know and sucked being around large groups of people but he was totally smooth. All charm that boy.”

“Are you sure you’re eight?” Maria snorted softly from her seat, “God.”

Alondra stuck her tongue out at her sister before focusing back on Marcus. “And he was weird.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good thing,” Jax pointed out, saying exactly what Marcus was thinking. Emilio shared with them stories about him and Joseph but he’d never heard anything particularly remarkable about the guy. Saying he was weird sounded…not very positive. “Weird is like when you say something is interesting.”

“I’ve arrived!”

They turned at stared at Alicia standing there like a…damn…a weirdo, her arms raised to the air. Linda came in behind her carrying a couple bags. When they caught sight of Maria, they both paused, Alicia’s hands slowly dropping to her sides. “What are you doing here?”

Maria looked pissed at being questioned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Linda glanced between her sisters and she went to stand beside Mr. Vidal who leaned a little to kiss the top of her head. Hands on her hips, Alicia snapped “You know exactly what that means! What the hell do you think gives you the right to sit there!”

“Mija,” Mr. Vidal cut in, just a hint of warning in his voice.

But Alicia completely ignored him. “You picked your homophobic trash over your _only brother_. The brother who’s literally thee most amazing person ever and would do anything for any of us, and you had the _nerve_ to pick Jesus!”

“Mija,” he repeated, a little sterner.

“So you have no right whatsoever,” Alicia continued, her face a harsh angry red while she used her finger like a vicious talking weapon, “to sit your stupid ass in that chair-”

“Alicia.”

With every harsh word Alicia spoke, Maria’s face dropped from angry to pained. “You know that he legit cried when he found out you picked Jesus over him? In the middle of the freaking night when he thought no one was listening. Cried and wondered if he’d been a ‘ _whole’_ brother instead of half, if you would have given him more considera-”

“Alicia Vidal, e-nough,” Mr. Vidal seethed, not yelling but sure sounding pissed as hell. It was like this deadly sounding murder tone. But his eyes were anything but calm. “Not another word out of your mouth.”

That was hardly deterring to her though as she hissed at her father “Why is she-”

“Enough!” he snapped as he stood to his full height and glared her down. Marcus had to admit, the man could be hella terrifying if he wanted to. What he’d seen earlier today at school had been _nothing._ “Di-”

“Papi-”

“I said, enough. Did I ask you for your opinion or your judgement on who can and can’t be in this room or where your sister can or can’t be? Did I?”

She was calmer but probably only in respect to her father because her body was still shouting ‘fuck you.’ “Well, no but-”

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. “No buts. I’m the parent here, am I not?” Alicia nodded, subdued. “Then who gets to worry and decide these things? Do you think that I would not have given Emilio the consideration he deserves in having Maria here?” When she stayed silent, he pressed for an answer. “Well?”

“I mean, obviously you would-”

“Then if I would, and since I most likely did, why do you think you can come barging in and speak how you spoke? Why would you even begin to assume that I gave someone more thought than someone else?”

Blushing and wrapping a hair around her ear, Alicia mumbled as she stared down at the floor “I didn’t-”

“You didn’t what?” Mr. Vidal asked, wearing that face that parents always did when they knew that they were winning an argument, like they were just rubbing in the answers to their rhetorical questions. “Didn’t think? No, you sure as hell didn’t. Apologize to your sister then apologize to everyone in this room for being disruptive and rude. And when your brother wakes up, you get to apologize to him too and explain how you shouted to a room full of people things that he probably didn’t want people knowing.”

Fiddling with her hands and still staring down at the floor, Alicia whispered ever so softly “Sorry, Maria. I shouldn’t have just assumed.”

Maria opened her mouth and Marcus could tell just from her face that she was going to forgive her sister but Mr. Vidal wasn’t done. “Louder and look at her.”

There was just the slightest hint of a huff but Alicia lifted her head and repeated far more sincerely “I’m sorry for assuming and being mean.”

Waving it off like they hadn’t been angry at each other, Maria said “Don’t worry about it. I deserved most of those words anyways.”

“Kids,” Alondra snorted in disdain as she turned back to her brother and grabbed a tissue to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “Every single one of you people.”

The normal ‘Mr. Vidal look’ came back on his face as he smiled and laughed “And what are you exactly?”

“Awesome, duh papa.”

A vibration took off Marcus’ attention from the room as he pulled out his phone. Eddy? Why would Eddy be- “Shit,” Marcus hissed in dismay as he answered the phone. “Eddy, I’m super sorry. I got caught up and-”

“Yeah, I figured,” his boss laughed, his husky voice sounding utterly amused. “Don’t worry about it; I know you and know you wouldn’t miss work without a reason. Just get over here, yeah?”

“Shit, yeah, be right there. Mr. Vidal?” Marcus asked as he closed the phone quickly, trying to stamp down his embarrassment at having to ask. He hated asking people things like these. “You think you can drop me off? It’s a mechanics shop near my place; I completely forgot I had work today.”

He felt really good when he saw an impressed look grow on the older man’s face. “Yeah, no problem. I don’t mind.”

Marcus turned to the love of his life lying there with a thousand things hooked to him and kissed his nose. It was the closest he could get to his lips. “Love you and be back tomorrow, badass. Get better.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy my peeps
> 
> _"I think I'm in love."_

“Is this supposed to be as tiring as it is?” Emilio asked as he slowly walked in the hospital hallway with his mother who was helping him and his IV along at his side. Every breath was like some gargantuan effort. Emilio would never take breathing for granted again.

“Tiring, yes, because we’re getting you breathing on your own again. Now, is it painful?”

“No. Just exhausting.”

His mother looked relieved as they took one slow step at a time, hand in hand. “Then you’re doing good, mijo, very good. Let’s just get to the elevator around the corner-”

“Aye, mama, I can’t do that,” he groaned, already ready to just drop onto the damn floor. God, he probably wouldn’t be able to run for _months._ Or at least not like he used to. “That’s too much.”

She didn’t look happy but she asked “Are you sure? We can try.”

“I’m positive.” No way he’d make it there and back. “I can’t do it.”

“Alright, alright,” she sighed, looking disappointed. He wasn’t sure if it was directly at him or if the disappointment was more aimed towards his slow recovery. Emilio didn’t think he was going slow being that only a week ago he had a tube in him helping him breathe. “Turn around then.”

There was a dull ache in his arm as they turned but he wasn’t sure if he should mention it or not. He’d already told her that nothing was hurting and he didn’t want her to be even more disappointed in his progress. “Mama?”

“Amor.”

“Te amo.”

“Love you too,” she laughed, giving him an amused look. “Your face is looking much better, you know.”

“As better as yellow can look, yeah, I guess,” he snorted, which he immediately regretted not a second later. Breathing wasn’t easy and any sort of noise that required his throat and breathing – a.k.a. _everything_ – seemed to be off the list. Laughing was obviously a complete bitch too.

Fuck his life.

“I see we’re out for a walk today?” his father called, coming from around the corner of the hall, a huge relieved smile lighting his face. His parents had to be exhausted but they sure didn’t show it. They’d take turns around his mother’s work for whoever would take the ‘night shift’ with Emilio. For the first week, Alondra had skipped school and stayed with him for the day time with his other sisters dropping in around work and school.

Now that he was off the tube, Alondra had – to her extreme annoyance – returned to school and his parents felt well enough about his positive looking health to leave him alone until someone was able to sit with him. The good thing about having a mom who worked in the hospital was that she’d stop in whenever she could.

He never had the feeling of being alone and he felt like that was a monumental help in his recovery. It at least kept him in a good mood if nothing else. “Yeah,” Emilio huffed carefully as he and his mom made their slow way over, “she tried dragging me to the elevator, this crazy woman.”

“The elevator’s not far-”

“Great, now you’re crazy too,” Emilio cut in before they ganged up on him and made him walk more. “This is supposed to be a healing process, not a ‘rush Emilio more than he can handle.’”

His father looked in the direction of the elevator. “I don’t think it’s more than you can handle.”

“Told you,” his mom said, a smile playing on her pretty face. “No one ever listens.”

“No, I just want to sit. My arm hurts-”

“That has nothing to do with your legs or chest-”

“And my chest aches,” he finished as he reached his father, falling into the man’s outstretched arms. “I’m tired. And I want to go home.”

“Whoa, he’s getting whiney,” his mother whispered to his father like it was some grand scandal. “I wonder where he got that from.”

Emilio smiled as he felt the vibrations of laughter running through his dad’s chest. “Really? I’m pretty sure that’s from your side of the family. We Vidals have iron wills that bend to nothing nor no one. That includes the need to whine.” He kissed Emilio’s head before spinning him around towards the room, “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Mijo, remind tu papa to look in the mirror,” his mom called as she walked off with a wave. She had a few hours to enjoy to herself before she had to come back for work.

“Papa, look in the mirror,” Emilio yawned as he stumbled to his bed, helped onto it by his dad. He hated the fact that he needed so much help to manage the simplest things but he knew that if he wanted to get better soon, he better use that help. “So tired.”

Fixing Emilio in the worst bed in the world and drawing up the sheet for him, his father replied “Then get some sleep. I’m here for a couple hours before I have to go.” He pulled a chair up closer to the bed and dropped himself into it. “So how are things between you and Marcus?”

“I thought I’m supposed to sleep,” he mumbled tiredly, missing the days when he could actually sleep on his back instead of reclined. He missed a lot of days, actually. Yawning again, he turned his head to face his father and answered “Okay, I guess? Technically speaking, I haven’t forgiven him yet. We’re like on ‘Emilio’s in the hospital’ truce relationship mode right now. He kisses up and I act like I’m totally cool with everything. Is that bad?”

“It sounds a little…cruel maybe,” his father replied, his face showing that he was mulling it over. “You don’t want him thinking you’re fixed if you’re not. Not that I know what there is to fix…?”

Over the course of the hospital stay, or more, over the course of Emilio being lucid enough, his father had phrased the question of what had happened in a million different ways. Emilio had still yet to answer. “He shouldn’t be stupid and assume-”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on him?”

“I’m not nothing,” Emilio all but snapped angrily. More frustrated, really. Rubbing his chest and remembering that if he was aching to carefully hold a pillow against himself, he grabbed the little orange pillow Linda had bought him just for this and held it close. No lie, all he could think about when he held this pillow was that he wished he had Mr. Cat. No one could cuddle and relive pain like that ugly thing. “I don’t appreciate feeling like I’m nothing when he feels like it.”

Slouching into the very uncomfortable chair, his father set his hands in his lap and said “How about you elaborate on that?”

He refrained from huffing because that’d definitely do him no good. Physically. Mentally, it just might. “He acts like I’m a nobody at school like…like he’s embarrassed from me. How’s that fair? I told him for weeks that I don’t stand for that shit and then he has the nerve to be upset when I don’t want to talk anymore? I don’t sell myself short. Or at least I try not to.”

“Ah,” his father said softly, nodding his head as he stared at Emilio. Emilio didn’t appreciate the look at all. “Would you have stood for it with Joseph?”

Clutching his pillow a little tighter because he really didn’t want to show how irritated he was from that question, Emilio went for the steady as fuck tone of voice. No emotion here, thank you. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Emilio played with corner of his pillow, not daring to meet his father’s gaze. Would he have? He felt like over the course of the summer before they would’ve finally had school together, Emilio could have done some serious convincing. Especially since he had been planning on having sex like Joseph had wanted. _Sounds like selling my ass_.

Yeah, he was that immature and laughed despite himself.

“Where’d I lose you?” his dad called through his thoughts. “Would you or not?”

“I don’t think so,” he sighed, shutting his eyes and getting lost in memories. “I mean, we literally had a whole fight about it.”

“Who won?”

A dry laugh escaped his chapped lips. “Who do you think? No one is more stubborn than a Kavinsky.”

“Ain’t that the damn truth,” his father snorted in amusement. “But I also know that my son can be just as stubborn despite what his sweet smile may denote.” Emilio laughed and blinked over at his father who was watching him carefully. “So you would’ve let him do the same as Marcus?”

“No,” Emilio answered, shaking his head softly against the pillow. The hospital pillows weren’t that great so Alicia had brought him his from his room. Big difference. “But also, Joseph wouldn’t have done that. We would’ve at least been friends and hung out, if not showing that we were together. Marcus won’t talk to me at all. Legit, his friends talk to me before he will at school. If they can, why can’t he?”

“Good question. Why don’t you ask him that instead of shunning him?”

“I tried!” Emilio snapped in frustration, wincing as pain struck through his chest. Clutching his pillow tighter, he explained “I tried a billion times. Every time, he just shuts me down. I got sick of it. I’m not desperate where I’m going to bend over for some asshole. At least with Joseph, I know that I would’ve been able to convince him eventually.”

With a very sure look on his face, his father grimaced and replied “Doubt it.” Losing his vigor from the cruel words, Emilio just blinked in surprise at his dad. “I don’t think you could have. Not until he felt comfortable enough to do so and that would’ve never come unless he felt safe enough at home. You wouldn’t have been able to convince him, mijo.”

“You don’t know that. You never saw us together; he was different with me.”

“A lot of people say that.”

“Do you really doubt us that much?”

Sighing heavily and sitting up, his father stretched over to grasp one of Emilio’s hands in his own. “Emilio, amor, there is no ‘us’ anymore. There’s you and there’s him wherever he is. And I know that you were and who knows, maybe still are, very special to him. That he loved you. I don’t doubt that at all. But he would not have been willing to let the world in on your secret.”

“You don’t know that,” he whispered, refusing to give in to his sorrow. No one could know that because they never had the chance to reach that point. But Emilio _knew_ that he would’ve been able to convince Joseph eventually. He knew it.

“Unless Ivo suddenly ceased to be a homophobe, he would’ve never come out. We both know that. Ivo and his approval and pride were everything to Joseph. You know that.”

Yeah, he knew that. He knew it and hated it because Joseph deserved more than what he had as a father. Shutting his eyes with a tired sorrowful sigh, he murmured “I could’ve totally convinced him while we were fucking.” His father broke into laughter, their hands letting lose as Emilio continued. “I could’ve! He would’ve agreed without even paying attention and then he’d have to hold to his word.”

Literally, the man’s face was red, choking on his laughs. “See, that, I might be able to believe!” He wiped his eyes and got out his last chuckles, “People say or agree to the stupidest things during sex.”

“Are you speaking from experience?”

“Oh, that, you’ll never know,” his dad snorted with a shake of his head. “Not a chance.”

“Knock, knock,” came Marcus’ deep voice before his head popped in. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Emilio shrugged. “We’re sharing sex stories. It’s your turn.”

His father rolled his eyes but he didn’t bother killing the lie as they watched Marcus walk in with a curious look on his face. “Sex stories, huh? I’m intrigued; do share.”

“No, no,” Emilio said with a bright smile that was only slightly sarcastic. His feelings weren’t on the up and up right now to act like all was cool. Marcus couldn’t tell though because he didn’t know Emilio well enough yet. “It’s your turn.”

No mind that Emilio actually had no stories to share.

Marcus shrugged without a care, the topic not at all bothering him. “Not much to share. Only been with Lydia before. I like to think I’m amazing at it but I’m sure everyone does.”

“I’m totally bomb,” Emilio nodded in complete surety, his father giving him a weird look.

“As bomb as a virgin can be, yeah, I bet so,” his father laughed, not able to just let this one lie go. God, this man. With a cheeky grin and a wink, he added “Stellar.”

Emilio could tell from Marcus’ face that he was trying so hard not to laugh. “Okay, old man,” Emilio muttered, crossing his arms around his pillow, “I see how it is. You’re supposed to back me up.”

Resting a hand on his heart, his father said stoically “I tell no lies.”

“Bull,” Emilio sulked, sticking out his tongue at the man. “I can catch you on tons of lies. I just have to think about it.”

“Hey, man,” Marcus laughed with a beautiful smile, “virgins are totally sexy. No experience necessary to be hot shit.”

Narrowing his eyes and trying to look annoyed but it was hard when he was blushing like an idiot, he said “Whatever. I was born sexy.”

He put his hands up in defense. “No arguments here, badass.”

“Maybe…” Emilio’s father trailed slowly and Emilio immediately sent a glare his way to shut him up. Obviously, that didn’t work. “You guys should open an argument on something else…? Hint, hint,” he paused for a minute and looked between them, “hint.”

Scratching his heads shyly, Marcus murmured “Uh…I mean…yeah, not that there’s anything to argue about-”

Oh fuck this. “Nothing?” Emilio cut in, fully irritated and fully ignoring the fact that he was tired. Nothing to argue about? Was he kidding? “You’re shitting me, right? Like, you don’t seriously believe that.” Marcus gave a quick glance to Emilio’s father and then one to Emilio, trying to convey the fact that he wasn’t comfortable doing this in front of him. The message was conveyed but Emilio sure as hell didn’t care. He didn’t keep secrets. “Well?”

Crossing his arms defensively, Marcus said “I don’t think it merits arguing, no. Talking, yeah, we can talk it out. We should talk it out.”

“I’ve talking to you about it for weeks which made no difference. I’m done talking. In fact, I feel like yelling except last week my lung was collapsed on account of two fatasses breaking a rib or two. I can’t yell. I really really wish I could because I’ve heard yelling is good for the soul.”

Totally unfazed, Marcus raised his brow in challenge. “Yeah, from who? Joseph?”

Wow. “What’s that even supposed to mean?”

“Alright, look,” Marcus started after a deep breath, the challenge falling off his face but his eyes looking no less serious, “I fucked up. I get it. I understand it too. I was putting you to the side like you didn’t matter when you do. A lot. And I’m sorry. I already told everyone last week that we’re a thing.”

This was news. News that you’d think Marcus would have mentioned by now. “Really.”

“Yeah, yeah, I did. And it felt good. Really good and I’m ashamed that I didn’t do it before. I’m sorry. I know that it doesn’t make sense but…having a rep kind of matters to me-”

“And hey,” Emilio cut in bitterly, “can’t have one when you’re a fag, right?”

Rubbing his thighs slowly, Marcus looked ashamed. “Something like that.” He let out a heavy sigh, “Look, man, I am seriously sorry. I get it now. And so what that pretty much everyone who used to hang and talk with me doesn’t anymore? Who gives fuck.”

By the looks of it, Marcus gave a serious fuck but Emilio wasn’t going to mention it. “So…”

“So when you get back to school, I’m probably going to be all over you.”

He could definitely live with that. For sure. Relaxing into his reclined stupid bed, he felt a little smile grow on his face. “Then we’re good.”

“I have such weird kids. Such weird weird kids.”

Laughing and turning to look at his father who looked so incredibly amused, Emilio snorted “That a bad thing? And I’m hardly the weirdest. Did you see that weird hat Alicia wore the other day? If I could shiver without it being painful, I’d do it. Guess banger Raul never thought he’d get the uncool weirdos, huh?”

“My kids are cool, thank you. I never imagined them to be so _annoying_ but definitely cool.”

“Not to cut in or anything,” Marcus said, very obviously cutting in, “but I’ve got a bone to pick too.”

Emilio looked at his boy…friend? They were official now or no? He had no clue. He looked at his something in surprise. “About?”

“Joseph. We talked about this before, but look, Emilio, I ain’t him.”

“Obviously.”

“My point is, if you and me are gonna work, you gotta put your love and effort on the guy sitting here with you.”

“Aw, but I do love my dad.”

His father laughed and Marcus looked a little amused but mostly annoyed like Emilio wasn’t taking this seriously enough. “I’m tryna be serious right now. I don’t want to put all my effort and then have to be reminded all the time about the guy before me. I don’t particularly care if he liked cutting up animals. I don’t want you thinking about him fucking you when I am. Get it?”

“If I wasn’t so tired, that’d be my cue to leave,” his father muttered. “Do not want to know about that.”

Surprisingly, Emilio wasn’t upset about the topic because he knew that Marcus was just mixing shit up. “But you’re looking at it wrong. When I tell you things like him liking bio or us getting up to stupid things or not telling his mom that we may or may not have frozen a roadkill squirrel in the garage freezer-”

“Thank you, God, you people played there,” his father whispered, his hands on his face.

“I’m telling you these things about my childhood friend. About my best friend of practically seven years. I’d never be upset if you told me things that you and someone got up to because that’s you enjoying the memories and good times you had. There’d be a difference if I was saying ‘hey, he kisses better than you’ or ‘he had dirty ass sweet talk.’ Then, yeah, get upset.”

“Did he have dirty ass sweet talk?” Marcus asked curiously, “I can totally do that.”

“Oh my God,” came a groan from an obvious spectator.

Shaking his head with a laugh, Emilio asked “Do you get it?”

Thankfully, Marcus nodded, looking far more reassured and happy. “Yeah, I do. I’m sorry I’m a jealous ass. So, we good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

“Good,” his dad chimed as he shut his eyes and slouched into the chair. “Send my check to my house, please. You’re both so fucking welcome.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> En  
> joy

The thought of starting up school again was a daunting one. Which was kind of funny, really, because it wasn’t like Emilio had done something bad and was coming back to judgmental stares but still. Facing people after they knew he’d been jumped was going to be hard and then add to it that he was the school’s ‘fag’ and now ‘that fag that turned Deresse gay’ and Emilio was prepping himself for the worse.

Well, prepping as well as he could. There wasn’t really much he could do except put on his smile and hope that the day would go fine.

He’d been discharged from the hospital last Thursday after his ten day stay and had spent the weekend recuperating. Emilio still had months to go to get himself back to where he was but walking didn’t exhaust him as long as he was slow and steady and his arm, while still in the cast, didn’t ache too much. He was still a little yellow in the face from bruises but he thought he looked good. How hard could it be getting back into the grind?

According to trying to button his pants with one hand, pretty hard.

“I’m such a loser,” he muttered angrily at his stupid jeans as he struggled to push the button through the hole until he finally got it through. “Ha, bitch.” Stuffing his feet into his shoes, he grabbed his bag and slung it on his good shoulder before grabbing his wallet and phone and heading out of his room. “Alondra,” he called, knocking on her door as he passed, “Let’s go, muchacha.”

His parents hadn’t been comfortable with him walking to school but he’d managed to convince them that him walking the few blocks would be good exercise. Plus, it wasn’t like they had a choice; his parents both had morning work today and there was only one car to this family’s name. And anyways, the hospital hadn’t let him leave until they’d set up soft and careful breathing exercises so Emilio and his lung were feeling good from all the exercise they’d been doing.

“Here and ready,” Alondra said as she bounced over to him still fumbling with his keys. “I can do it.”

“Nah, I got it,” he murmured, pushing her out the door before him and locking the door. “Let’s move out.”

“You sure you’re fine?”

Honestly, all the concern was really starting to get on his nerves. “I’m good,” Emilio replied, slowly descending the stairs with measured breaths. Good thing he had a doctor’s note for P.E.; he’d never last doing sports or, God forbid, the mile. “Let’s go go go.”

Emilio was pretty sure he was imagining it but when he reached the gates of school, he felt like every single pair of eyes on campus turned towards him. It was like a searing judgmental ‘I see you’ that made his skin crawl like hell. Like ants swarming a crumb.  He just kept his gaze forward, ignoring the heads that turned.

And he didn’t imagine those.

By the time he reached his locker, he was surprised he wasn’t lit up in flames by now. Jesus. When two girls passed him staring and giggling, Emilio just rolled his eyes and opened his locker who liked him today, thank God. Then another person passed staring and another and when a group of a few guys started to pass by him – ‘popular’ guys whose names and faces everyone knew – Emilio had enough of the stares.

“I’m not a fucking circus act,” he snapped as they passed, causing them to come to a halt in surprise like they didn’t expect him to speak. “Shove your fucking eyes to the backs of your heads and keep walking.”

“Damn, fag, did the hospital build you a backbone?” Devin laughed. “Must’ve taken extensive surgery since the gangsters snapped yours.”

Who the hell mocked someone who’d been assaulted? What was wrong with this world, for God’s sake. “At least I had one before they broke it. You have to lick your girl’s ass just to find out what color shirt you’re even allowed to wear so you guys can match.” It wasn’t nice because his girlfriend was actually in one of Emilio’s classes and really sweet minus her severe need to control everything but Emilio didn’t care for nice right now. “Does she know you’re wearing red? I coulda sworn I saw her wearing yellow.”

Devin looked seriously pissed but one of his buddies was laughing his head off causing Devin to throw him a nasty glare. Max shrugged with a smirk on his face as he said “It’s a good one. Not like he’s wrong.”

“We got a problem?” They turned to look at Marcus walking over, challenge flashing in his eyes as he came nose to nose with Devin. “Well?”

While Devin may be jerk enough to fight Emilio even though he was injured, nobody ever wanted to lay a hand on Marcus. They knew they’d never stand a chance. “Tell your bitch to watch his mouth.”

Yeah, right.

He totally blamed Joseph for teaching him the art of a temper.

Pushing Marcus to the side as well as injured him could, Emilio jabbed Devin in the chest with his finger. “Nobody tells me what to do, _bitch_. Go find your girlfriend and kiss her feet in apology for wearing the-”

“You move that fist and it’ll never work again,” Marcus interrupted with a hiss, Emilio just now noticing Devin’s fist clenched by his side. “I’ll break every single bone in your fucking hand.”

“Emilio!”

He turned and looked down the hall to see Victoria bouncing over. She was wearing her glasses which totally threw him off because he knew she’d taken them off for Tanner. “Hey,” he said carefully once she reached him, not exactly sure what footing they were on.

“Hey,” she said with a smile, totally out of breath. But she looked happy to see him so that had to be good. “Welcome back! How are you? Are you feeling okay? I was…” she blushed and looked away from him, “I was going to come visit to see how you’re doing but I wasn’t sure…you’d want me there.”

“Always nice to have guests,” Emilio replied with an easy shrug. He wouldn’t have turned her away. “And get well gifts.”

Victoria laughed, looking at him once more, her brown eyes glowing in delight. Looking like a lightbulb went off in her brain, she swung her backpack around to her front and opened it up, taking out a paper box. “This is for you,” she said, handing it over with another blush. “I’m glad you’re better.”

Emilio couldn’t help but snort as he accepted the red box. “Oh, I’m so far from better, you have no idea. Legit, I still sleep reclined because my parents are freaked that if I sleep wrong or on my chest, my lung will collapse again. No bueno, lemme tell you.” Pulling the lid of the box which he was convinced she’d made by doing origami, he smiled at the little paper bouquet he found inside. He took it out, admiring the blue and purple origami flowers. “This is beautiful, thank you.”

It was like her world just lit up and the feelings of guilt that had set on him when he broke up with her came back. She’d liked him a lot, he knew that, and well, probably still did like him but it wouldn’t have ever worked out. It wouldn’t have been fair to her to drag her along in his depression. “I was undecided on what kind of flower to make but I know blue’s your favorite color so I figured I couldn’t go wrong with anything blue.”

“It’s perfect,” he said, dragging her into a half hug because full hugs weren’t something that he was capable of. “God, it’s refreshing to hug someone shorter than me again.”

She slapped him in that playful way, falling back into old times with laughter. Emilio was practically a hundred percent sure that if he turned to look at Marcus, he’d have jealousy burning in his eyes. “I’m only an inch shorter.” Wrapping her loose hair behind and ear and looking suddenly serious, Victoria added “Look, I’m really sorry about…all that mean stuff I said before.”

If there was anyone he’d forgive for it, it was her because he knew she’d been trying to be something she wasn’t to fit in with her boyfriend. Ex? Hopefully. “Don’t worry about,” he replied, waving it off with his flowers, “I know you didn’t mean it unlike the homophobes still standing behind me.”

Her mouth opened to say something but she was cut off by a shouting Jax who was bouncing over with Sean and Richi in tow. “Ohhhh look who’s back! Badass, what’s good?” He only spared the homophobes an odd look before nudging Emilio softly in his good shoulder. “Welcome back, bitch! How you feeling? Any time you need the nurse, I will physically carry you there.”

“Dumbass,” Sean snorted, “if anyone’s carrying, it’s Marcus. You think he’s gonna let you touch his boy?” He nodded at Devin and the other two. “The fuck you want?”

Devin gave them all disgusted glances before shouldering his way away, not even bothering to see if his friends were following. Lucas did but Max hung around for a second before nudging Emilio’s shoulder like Jax had. “Welcome back.”

“The fuck?” Richi muttered as they watched him catch up to his buddies. “What’s with him being nice? He won’t even talk to us and he tells you ‘welcome back?’”

“Beats me, man,” Emilio answered, wondering why seeing Max up close and personal suddenly made his brain itch like he knew him. He did know him but…huh…

It was probably nothing.

“Aw, this is pretty,” Jax said, pulling the flower from Emilio’s hand. “Where’d you get this?”

“I made it for him,” Victoria piped in with pride. “Great, huh?”

“Ain’t you Tanner’s girl?” Richi asked curiously before Sean bumped him with his shoulder and snorted “Nah, dude, she was Emilio’s girl.”

Rolling his eyes and taking back his flowers and setting them in their box before closing it, he corrected “She’s Victoria who is her own human being who happened to have gone out with me and is currently with Tanner. She’s no one’s property.”

Richi chewed on his rosary, “You know what we meant, ass.”

“Ex,” Victoria said, glancing between them all, “Tanner’s ex. I broke up with him after you got jumped. I felt so bad that they could just sit there and find it funny that you’d been hurt and I knew that I didn’t want a part of that.”

Jax whistled. “Damn, dude, you shoulda kept her. She’s sweet.” Victoria blushed but Marcus slapped Jax atop his head. Laughing, Jax added “Or not because how’s Marcus supposed to have you? So what’d you get your bae as a welcome back gift?”

Marcus’ cheeks tinged just a little as he pulled Emilio close to his body. “Well, I’d been planning some nice public kisses-”

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” Emilio murmured while nodding. “I think I’m in love.”

“But I found some assholes bugging him so I haven’t gotten to it.”

“Kisses are lame,” Jax snorted.

“But cheap,” Sean mused, “free, actually.”

Spinning around in Marcus arms so they were face to face – face to chest really – Emilio tilted his head up and smiled. “I want my kisses. Pucker up, bitch.”

 

 

By lunch, Emilio was exhausted but determined to finish the day.

By fifth period, he felt like he was dying and didn’t even bother to pick up his head off the desk as class started. Fuck school, he was in pain. But he didn’t want to go home; he just wanted to finish the day and with him not having to do P.E. next period, he felt like he could do it.

Emilio just had to get through government.

“…ilio. Emilio. Mr. Vidal?”

Just this last class and a period of resting and he’d tell one of his sisters to meet him here so they could walk with him. He was so fucking tired and if he collapsed – okay, he was dramatic – but if he did, they’d help him out.

“Mr. Vidal.”

His eyes were sliding shut when Matt behind him kicked his chair, jolting him up abruptly. “Fuck,” he groaned as he clutched his chest in pain from his sudden movement.

“Shit, dude, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Are you with us, Mr. Vidal?” Mr. Robison asked, who didn’t at all look sympathetic. He was the only teacher who hadn’t, this jerk. “Pay attention, please.”

“Sorry,” he muttered though he totally wasn’t.

“I give detention to those who sleep in class. As you know when I made all of you sign the syllabus.”

This guy wasn’t one of the teachers Emilio liked. Or even mildly respected in that teacherly way. “I know. My bad. I was busy trying not to cry in pain and be disruptive that way.”

“I also give detention for sarcasm.”

It wasn’t sarcasm being that it was truth but okay. “Noted.”

“Good,” Mr. Robison nodded. “Now, I’m placing you in Mr. Scaletta and Mr. Kovachev’s group being that you missed class when I originally assigned groups.”

From the way he said it and the way he was looking at Emilio, it was like it was all his fault. “Sorry that I got jumped and ended up in the hospital.” He made sure not an ounce of sarcasm was in his voice so that he was just stating a fact. “On account of a collapsed lung and ruptured spleen and the list can go on. Shame I missed group day.”

Okay, that last one might’ve come out a little sarcastic.

A raised brow and eyes full of utter disdain met his words. “Well, good thing you’re at least here to do the project. Don’t get jumped again anytime soon, hmm?”

Wow. Yeah, didn’t like the guy at all. “Sure thing,” Emilio said with a broad sarcastic ‘Mr. Kavinsky’ smile and a salute, “I’ll try my best.”

Looking entirely unamused, Mr. Robison turned his attention to the whole class again. “Let’s get in our groups, class.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy ^.^
> 
> _“Fuckity fuck, shortbabe, this is goooood.”_

“…anarchy would be bomb, duh. No fucking government, no pigs, none of it.”

“Pigs?” Max asked, completely bored as he slouched in his chair. “You trying to be gangster or something? And anyways, anarchist governments don’t work. What do you think, Vidal?”

Emilio picked his head up from the assignment paper that he’d been trying to read for the past five minutes. Very unsuccessfully. His everything hurt and focusing wasn’t possible. “What?”

“About anarchist governments. Joe here thinks they work. What do you think?”

“That’s stupid,” he snorted, too tired and too in pain to care about being polite around people he didn’t really even know. Let them have his bad side, who gave a fuck. “That’d never work. Governments, societies in general, need some kind of authority. And someone to reinforce laws-”

“Laws are bullshit,” Joe cut in scornfully, his very Italian looking nose scrunching up, “No one needs that shit. And who the fuck actually likes the police?” He made a farting nose that was not only ridiculously immature but just damn rude. “Cops are more bullshit than the law.” Making an ugly mocking face, he said in a tinny voice that grated on Emilio’s nerves ‘Oooh, NJSP, hands up! Oohooohooo,’” Joe paused to crack his fingers and snorted “Never met a single cop who’s good or actually protects people.”

“My dad’s been shot protecting people,” Emilio snapped in irritation, for once, the pain of speaking harshly not hurting his chest at all, “been hospitalized protecting people. Don’t fucking mock cops, you piece of shit.”

He hadn’t even noticed that the class had gone silent listening to his rant.

“I’d like to see you try and do an officer’s job,” he continued, his hands going along in his anger with the universal ‘I’m pissed’ hand movements that accompanied speech, “I’d like to see you try to talk down people pointing a gun at you or go to someone’s house and tell them that they lost someone that they loved. There are a lot of good cops, Scaletta. Maybe you shouldn’t be so fucking prejudice and actually take the time to talk with one and learn what they do when they’re trying to keep people safe. Fucking asshole.”

“Are you finished, Mr. Vidal?”

Crossing his arms and grinding his jaw, Emilio didn’t bother turning his glare from Joe to the teacher. “Yeah, I’m done.”

“You owe Mr. Scaletta an apology.”

Emilio laughed in disbelief, agony ripping through his chest. Shit, he’d exerted himself too much and it was just a fucking government class. “After he kisses the floor my dad walks on. Then I’ll forgive and even invite him to have the best plátanos maduros he’s ever gonna taste. I have no reason to apologize; I haven’t said anything wrong.”

Anyways, it didn’t even look like Joe wanted an apology. He looked more amused than anything else, a smirk flattering his stupid face. “Fine. Take me to meet a good cop; maybe I’ll change my mind. Then I want whatever the fuck a plato madros is.”

Huh, Emilio was totally thrown right now, no joke. He hadn’t expected Joe to just…accept the idea. “Plátanos maduros and its sweet fried plantains. And my dad is going to pick me up today being that I literally feel like I’m dying. You can meet him then.”

“Are we settled? Next outburst equals detention, gentlemen. Mr. Kovachev, check your group members next time.” Max made a confused face at the doodle he was doing on his paper but said nothing. “Get back to work everyone.”

“Why the fuck is it my problem,” Max muttered once the class got to talking again. “Okay,” he said in a louder and much more exasperated voice, “so anarchy is obviously out although it was a stupid idea anyways- Yo, man, can you pay attention for one second?”

Glancing up from his phone, Emilio glanced around and then pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Yeah, you,” Max snorted, nodding at the phone. “I happen to like getting shit done.”

“Oh, yeah,” Emilio nodded as he finished his text to his father, “gimme a sec, sorry. Making sure my ride can come. No way I can walk home.”

“What exactly happened to you?” Joe asked curiously, munching on a licorice that seemingly came out of nowhere. “I heard a beating but I don’t hang around gossip bitches.” He spared Max a smile, “Sorry.”

“Got jumped,” Emilio replied as he concentrated on the project paper, both him and Joe ignoring Max’s eyeroll. They had to ‘build’ a country by constructing the government and everything from deciding laws to the economy to how they’d handle foreign relations. Surprisingly, it didn’t sound bad. “I beat up my sister’s ex fiancé and he had me jumped.”

“Damn,” Joe laughed, another licorice materializing from his jean jacket. “You don’t look the fighter type and yet here you are. Fucking weird.”

“I blame my dad and my ex boyfriend,” Emilio murmured as he wrote some ideas in his notebook. It was so weird knowing that everyone knew his sexuality now. “My dad doesn’t really have a temper, he’s really good at being pissed in a way where you wouldn’t know, but he takes no shit. Used to be a banger so he’s fought in the streets too. My ex had one hell of a temper and no patience for anyone who wasn’t me or his family. They’re both terrible influences.”

“When’d you know you were bi?”

Emilio glanced up at Max, stopping in the middle of writing ‘Sweden’ as possible government inspiration. They had a good government, didn’t they? Northern Europe countries seemed like they did. Wasn’t there that country that literally left babies outside without worry? “When’d you know you were straight?”

“Ooh, clapback,” Joe said with what was apparently his normal expression. A smirk. Or bored. He looked like he perfected the disinterested blank face.

“For as long as I can think, I guess,” Max answered with a shrug, “Born this way.”

“Gaga.”

“Gaga’s for the gays, back off,” Emilio laughed, surprised at how chill Joe seemed to be, before he ended up clutching at his chest and breaking into a pained cough. “Fuck,” he huffed through pained breaths when he coughed again. Max looked panicked like he’d broken Emilio but Joe just looked bored. Hell, he always looked bored apparently. How a smirk could look bored, Emilio didn’t know, but it definitely could on Joe’s face. He took a few deep careful breaths done in the way the coach nurse lady had taught with shut eyes, waiting patiently as a majority of the pain subsided back in a wave. “If you were born that way, why would you assume I wasn’t?”

It took Max a minute to realize Emilio was referring back to their conversation. “I…wasn’t assuming. I was just curious. Don’t some people take half their life figuring it out?”

Opening his eyes in relief of minimal pained breaths, Emilio replied “Everyone’s different. I was lucky enough to figure myself out pretty quick, I guess.” Flipping his notebook around and setting it between Max and Joe, Emilio said “So, I’m thinking…”

 

 

“I can carry you,” Marcus offered with a laugh as he and Emilio, well, Emilio trudged and Marcus walked super slow, towards the car. “I totally don’t mind.” He was too beat to bother with a response, instead settling for shaking his head. “You sure?” Emilio nodded. “Maybe you’re not ready for a full day yet.”

“I’m fine,” Emilio finally sighed, the car never looking so far away. Why’d the man have to park across the street? Emilio was even too exhausted to just appreciate the fact that he and Marcus were totally holding hands in public. “I just need to lie down for a while, maybe take a nap, have my dad hock me up on pills, and I’ll be alright. No worries, bae.”

“You look like crap, man,” Marcus said in worry, halting them right before the gate and turning Emilio to face him. “Like…really bad crap. Like, I’d really prefer if you didn’t come to school tomorrow.”

Honestly, Emilio was considering it. The day had been too long for him to handle but maybe he just needed to adjust again. Giving up after the first day would be pathetic. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” he murmured into Marcus’ chest, loving the feeling of those strong arms wrapped around him. Being public in school was fucking bomb ass.

Definitely wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

“You’re blocking the gate.”

They both turned their heads and gave Tanner, who was equally giving them, an irritated glance. “Go around,” Marcus snorted, “We’re busy having a heartful moment.”

“Yo, dude, I want my fucking banana thing!” came Joe’s loud brash voice, the tall boy suddenly beside Emilio, slightly breathless. Amazing that this guy had raced over to make sure he caught Emilio in time. “’Member, you said so. I ain’t no fool who turns down free food.”

“Get the fuck out of my way, fa- assholes,” Tanner muttered as he shouldered his way around and went on his way.

“I’m surprised he didn’t say fag,” Emilio said in surprise. “He totally cut himself off.”

Marcus smirked superiorly, “Told him if he says it at me, you, or around us, I break him in two.” His smirk dropped as his gaze flicked to Joe. “And you are…”

“Joe Scaletta, your boy’s mistress. He promised I get to eat platanos off his sexy body.”

Emilio broke into laughter and laughed even harder when he saw how pissed Marcus looked. It was the best laugh he’d had in a while and it stayed that way up until he was on the verge of tears of agony. Then this laughter changed fast to groans and whimpers of pain as he clutched Marcus shirt tight, just needing something to squeeze tight as he tried to breathe the pain away.

“Um…I should call your dad, shouldn’t I?”

He shook his head softly, not wanting to jumble his headache around. “Just…minute.” Looking entirely unconvinced, Marcus held him close and pressed a kiss to his head. “Really…I’m totally…”

“Fine?” Joe asked because he totally wasn’t believing it either if his voice was anything to go by. “I’ll handle this.”

 

* * *

 

Raul glanced curiously at the boy suddenly slouching his head in the window. “You Vidal’s daddy, right?” the boy asked in his heavy Jersey accent. Practically as heavy as Yulian’s who had it like no one Raul knew. “Yous look kinda the same.”

“And you are…?”

“Joe,” the boy who looked like a freaking greaser said, “his new maybe buddy. Idk, man, we’re working on it. Me and Marcus thinking we gonna carry Emilio over. He’s like dying, dude. Hacking and shit.”

“Shit,” Raul muttered as he shooed Joe away from the door and got out. No wonder Emilio had asked if Raul could leave work to pick him up. He knew coming had been a bad idea; he hadn’t rested nearly enough. “Lead the way, greaser.”

Joe cackled and led Raul to where Emilio literally sat on the cement, Marcus clutching him close and looking at him like he was about to drop dead. Such a drama queen, that kid. “I’m all back victorious.”

Emilio’s tired eyes blinked open, trying to smile for Raul, as he said softly “I was coming.”

“No doubt,” he murmured as he helped him up. “I knew school was a bad idea.”

“I was doing…so good though.”

“I was watching him super close, Mr. V,” Marcus informed as he bounced to his feet, grabbing both his bag and Emilio’s. “Didn’t let him out of my sight unless I had to.”

Carefully guiding Emilio to the car, he seriously wanted to laugh. In a nice way. Marcus was literally obsessed and hoping to impress and it was kind of cute and sweet but then he’d have to worry for when they broke up. Maybe Marcus would be a stalker.

He was just saying. Raul liked to keep the future in mind and be prepared.

“Thank you,” Raul replied, settling Emilio in the passenger seat and wondering if maybe he should have stretched him out in the back. It was only a thought for a second before the greaser boy suddenly threw himself in the back. Raul was confused right now. And Marcus was seriously annoyed.

He had a serious jealousy problem.

“Uh…”

Greaser glanced at Raul through the open backseat door. “I was promised fried bananas.”

Fried bananas? “Plátanos maduros?” Joe nodded eagerly. “Uh…well, as far as I know, my kitchen is lacking plantains at the moment but…I…guess we can stop somewhere and get some.” Joe nodded again like ‘yeah, brilliant idea.’ “Promised?”

“Yeah, shortbabe promised. I ain’t kissed the floor you walked on yet but I figure you’ll let me skip that part.”

“The fuck did you just call him?” Marcus just barely said in a normal voice. Just barely.

Joe just shrugged, “Chill, man, just a joke. I ain’t a swinger.” He broke into laughter and Raul was literally an inch from asking the kid to take a drug test. “I mean, like, I ain’t goin’ towards dudebros. Ladies for me all the way. Not that I’m into that swinging lifestyle. I ain’t a sharer.”

Why did Emilio always have to make friends with the weird ones? Why? Marcus was probably as normal as normal could be from the people Emilio had ever introduced Raul to. He was sure that whatever school friends he had were nice but Emilio only brought home the crazy ones. “Why exactly are you supposed to kiss the floor?”

“Oh, I insulted cops, he got pissed, said you be one, y’know, like one of them good ones,” he scratched his head absently, not really looking at anyone or anything, “Then he be like I gotta meet you so I see that cops are great dudes and then I was promised food.”

“You’re definitely more excited about the food than meeting me.”

He shrugged carelessly, “From how totally pissed he was, I’ll take his word that there be good cops. Now I want the food.”

Sighing, Raul shut the door on Joe and walked back around the car to the driver’s side. Nodding to Marcus, he asked “Coming?”

“Nah, I gotta get to work.”

“I can drop you.”

Marcus shook his head, “I’ll just walk with the guys. Thanks. Um, Mr. Vidal,” he blushed and avoided Raul’s gaze, “make sure you keep this fucker on a leash. I don’t like him.”

Surprisingly, he was able to suppress his laugh but there was no stopping the smile that erupted on Raul’s face. Marcus crossed his arms and practically pouted, annoyed and very able to tell that Raul was on the verge of laughing at him. “No problem, lover boy,” Raul snorted as he opened the door and dropped into the car.

“You’re not funny,” Marcus muttered just loud enough for Raul to hear. “So not funny.

“I’m always funny,” Raul laughed as he waved goodbye and shut door. Emilio had fallen asleep which meant he had to be extremely tired to just drop off like that. Ugh, his poor child. And he hadn’t even told him the bad news yet. How could he? It’d probably make him worse just from how upsetting the information was going to be.

But then of course, if Raul didn’t tell him…Emilio would be grandly pissed. And upset and probably give Raul the silent treatment. Raul really didn’t like when his kids gave him the silent treatment. Which, ha ha, was a bit of karma being that Raul hadn’t spoken to his father in years. He’d ask after him to make sure he was alive and healthy but beyond that…he didn’t care for anything more. Nor was he eager for anything more.

Flicking a glance in the rearview mirror as he drove at Joe who was on his phone and chewing a toothpick, Raul asked “You know what a plantain looks like, right?”

“Some banana thing.”

Parking on the side of the road, Raul took out a few dollars from his wallet – fuck him, half what he had on him – and handed them back to Joe. “Go in,” he said, nodding at the little bodega, “and pick two. Yellowish brown or just brown. The riper, the sweeter.”

Taking the money without question or offering to pay himself though Raul wouldn’t have let him anyways, he asked curiously “I thought it's gotta be green for frying?”

Huh, looks like this kid actually knew a thing or two. “For tostones, yeah. But you want them sweet. Now get going, I’ve got a dying sleeping kid here.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy and like...chit chat with me
> 
> _“You are so Raul it’s unbelievable.”_

Opening his eyes, Emilio was greeted with a smile.

Which was nice. Smiles were always nice.

It was just…this was unexpected.

“Rise and shine, shortbabe!” Joe laughed, poking Emilio in the nose. “C’mon, man, I really want my banana fries. Your pop-pop said he didn’t have time to do ‘em for me and I had to wait for whoever came home. Ain’t no one coming, man.”

Emilio couldn’t believe that his father literally left him and Joe alone in the house. How did he know that Joe wouldn’t steal anything? Not that Emilio was saying that he would and it wasn’t like they actually had anything worth stealing but still; they didn’t know the guy. Blinking harshly and trying to get himself awake enough to comprehend his surroundings, Emilio realized that he was in his living room, reclined on the couch and stretched out.

“Let’s go, dude, I’ve been waiting for hours.”

Sitting up fully with careful slow motions, Emilio asked “Hours?”

“Yeah, you been knocked out foreverrrrr,” Joe notified from where he sat on the floor. “I’m hungry, shortbabe.”

What was up with all this ‘shortbabe’ stuff? “Have you been sitting there the whole time?”

“Yup. Didn’t want yous thinking the worst of me. I’m a decent dude on a good day.”

Yawning, Emilio did the smallest stretch in the world, a twinge striking through his chest. “Glad today’s a good day then. Lemme wash up and we’ll make you your damn plantains.”

“Hey, man, you invited,” Joe snorted as he turned his attention to his phone, his long legs stretching out.

By the time Emilio finished from the bathroom and changed into some comfy house clothes, Joe looked like he was dying on the floor. Or maybe making a carpet snowman; he wasn’t too sure. “You’re incredibly dramatic,” Emilio called from the kitchen as he took out the pan they used for frying and set it on the stove. “Where’s the- oh, found ‘em.”

“I’m hungry, bitch,” Joe laughed as he rolled to his feet and came to stand beside Emilio who was peeling the plantains. “If I don’t like these, you gonna feed me, right?”

“I guess, since you did spend hours watching me sleep. Creep.”

“Awesomeee. Hey, so, shortbabe, I gotta say, I dig your dad. He seems legit.” Emilio was about to respond but Joe kept going. “Also, I invited Max over so we can work. We didn’t do much in class. Hope you don’t mind that I gave your address and shit.”

He did actually mind but too late for that. “It’s fine,” he sighed, cutting the plantains into careful even slices because no one liked ugly food. Especially if they were serving someone something for the first time. “I wish you would’ve asked first but oh well.”

“Maybe you should sit and do that.”

“Nah,” Emilio replied, only slightly annoyed. He knew it stemmed from concern but it was still frustrating that everyone wanted to handle him with so much care. Even someone who didn’t even know him. Dropping the slices into the hot oil, Emilio added “This is really fast.”

Joe nodded silently, watching Emilio cut up the last of the plantains before he dropped them into the oil. “So you got siblings? Your daddy made it sound like you do.”

“Four sisters,” he murmured as he carefully flipped the slices, pleased with how nice and golden they were coming out to be. He didn’t really cook but he was capable, thank you. “I’m the second youngest between the insanity. You?”

“Just me and my pops.”

From the way Joe said his ‘pops’ in a certain tone of voice, Emilio knew better than to ask him anything more personal than that. “So you and Max buddies?”

“Pft, fuck no,” Joe laughed, turning back into himself, or whatever it was that he presented to people. His eyes lit up as Emilio set the finished plantains on a napkin covered plate. Yeah, they looked perrrfect. “He seems pretty chill for that crowd,” he continued, “but nah. Not my type of buddy. He’s your a+ buttercup athlete white boy, man. I like a little spice in my friends. Keeps them interesting.”

“Guess I’ve got the spice since you’re sticking to me like glue?”

A loud laugh burst from Joe, hearty and husky. “Kinda, dunno, shortbabe, haven’t really decided yet. But I know I want-”

“My food,” Emilio finished for him with his own laugh as he carried the plate over to the table after turning off the stove. “I got you, don’t worry. C’mon and sit.” Just as Emilio took his own chair, the buzzer went off, signaling that someone was at the gate downstairs. All his family had keys so… “How long ago did you text Max?”

“About an hour,” Joe mumbled around the cup a juice he apparently poured himself without Emilio even noticing, “Got bored waiting, man. Should I go open?”

“Please.”

Nodding as he set his cup on the table, Joe disappeared out the door, his loud brash voice calling out pure gibberish at Max. It only took them all of two minutes to come but to Emilio and his growling stomach staring at a plate of delicious looking plátanos maduros, it felt like years. But Emilio was a good host so he waited, not patiently, but he waited. “Hey,” he said as Max walked in.

Max nodded in greeting as Joe came in behind him, shutting the door. He glanced around the small apartment, setting his bag on the floor beside a couch before coming to join Emilio and Joe at the table. “Dudebro here ain’t used to poor people,” Joe snorted, grabbing a slice and dropping it into his mouth. His eyes went wide as he chewed. He didn’t even wait until he swallowed, saying “Fuckity fuck, shortbabe, this is goooood.”

“I’ve been here less than a minute and already the insults?” Max asked, though he didn’t sound angry, just tired. Looking over at Emilio, he said “Don’t believe a word he says. I was just looking.”

Emilio shrugged. He didn’t particularly care. His parents worked hard to give them what they had. He wasn’t ashamed of it. “Your family well off?” he asked after swallowing. He had more manners than Italian boy across from him. “What do your parents do?”

“Mom is just, y’know, a mom and my dad’s a businessman. Insurance.” He picked up a slice of plantain, “This the thing you mentioned in class?”

“How well off can a fucking insurance guy be?” Joe asked with a glare, sounding mildly annoyed that insurance apparently paid so well. “And don’t touch my fried bananas,” he snorted, slapping Max’s hand as he reached for another, apparently liking what he tasted. “Mine.” Focusing on Emilio, Joe said “This bitch lives in a fucking mansion, man.”

“Well, some people are lucky I guess,” Emilio replied with a yawn. If he was trying to find Emilio’s bitterness, he’d have to go for a different angle. “You got siblings?”

“Seven.”

“Damn,” Emilio laughed – very carefully on account of his chest – “and I thought four was bad. Where do you fit?”

“Youngest and we’re all boys.” He said it so depressingly like he hated it. Grabbing another slice with a grand maneuver that avoided Joe’s attempted slap, he muttered “It sucks. And the closest to my age is twenty-seven. I was the extra accident.”

“Fuck,” Joe snorted in condescending amusement. “Your parents must be fucking old! Your daddy still gets it up at his age?” Thank God Max was groaning in his hands because he wouldn’t appreciate the smirk on Emilio’s face. He couldn’t help it, don’t judge. “How old? C’mon, Maxy,” Joe laughed, “tell the truth.” Max muttered something from behind his hands. “Didn’t hear you.”

“Sixty-nine,” Max groaned, sliding his face down onto the table. “He’s so old…and wrinkly. Not hella wrinkly but more wrinkly than a guy my age should have his father being.”

“Wow,” Emilio said as he got up to get some water, “Don’t make fun of the man just for wrinkles. He must be doing something right if his job hasn’t tried to throw him out yet. I’m surprised they haven’t given him a retirement watch yet or something.”

“Yo, if he’s rich, why the fuck he still working?” Max just shrugged at Joe’s question as Emilio sat back down. “I’d take my money and go before I died.”

They all glanced at the door as his father suddenly rushed in on the phone, not even paying any of them mind as he went to his room. Ms. Savelio came in after him looking far more down than her usual mood but smiled when she saw them. “Hey, Emilio. How’re you doing? Better?”

“Not bad,” he murmured as he glanced around and down the hall to his parents’ room. “I went to school today but I don’t think I’ll go back tomorrow. It was a lot of work.”

“Little by little, you’ll get there.”

She wasn’t as talkative either. Weird. Looking at her through narrowed eyes, he asked “What’s wrong?”

His father’s longtime partner made that face she made when she was trying to think her way out of a tough situation. Sighing, she took a step forward to be able to see down the hallway and, noticing that the door was closed, said softly “We’re working on a lead for something and it’s not looking good.”

“Yeah, that’s not vague at all.”

She rolled her eyes and huffed “He’ll be pissed if I tell you.”

“That means it has something to do with you,” Joe said in a loud stage whisper.

“I know, thank you,” Emilio said, returning his focus on the woman who might give him some info. “But you’ll tell me, right? I’ll smile for you; you know how nice my smiles are.”

There was an amused snort before she replied “He wants to talk to you himself. I should let him.”

“Nah.”

Crossing her arms and mulling it over, Ms. Savelio finally said “Juan and Carlos were let out last night.”

Emilio could feel his jaw literally sliding open in shock as his heartbeat picked up fast. Blinking blankly at her and not capable of finding words, Emilio just…stared as he tried not to have a panic attack. But Joe had no problem speaking, of course. “Who they?” He glanced between Emilio and Ms. Savelio before nodding. “Dudes who jumped you. I thought there’s evidence and shit?”

For someone who said he didn’t hang with gossip bitches, he sure knew a lot. “There is. Why are they free?”

“Dammit, Kehaulani,” came his father’s irritated voice as he suddenly turned up behind Emilio’s chair.

“You weren’t seriously not going to tell me, were you?” Emilio asked, spinning around in his chair. “I don’t know if you know this, but it very directly concerns me.”

“I’m aware.”

“Then?” He was suddenly aware that his father had changed into regular street clothes. “Why’d you change?”

Sighing while muttering under his breath, his dad said “I was going to tell you. I figured I’d tell you later because I was planning on certain things panning out so when I did tell you, they’d already be back in custody.”

“Guess it didn’t work out?”

“No. Not yet, at least.”

Great. Even if Emilio had wanted to try school again tomorrow, he’d be too scared to leave his house. God, he was such a coward. He didn’t know that Juan and Carlos would come looking for him again or not but…he didn’t want to try his chances. Maybe they didn’t appreciate their time in custody because of him. Not meeting his father’s searing gaze so he couldn’t read the fear in them, Emilio asked quietly “Why’d they get to go?”

“Gang unit wants to keep tabs on them so they can catch the bigger fish,” Ms. Savelio said from where she still stood at the door. “They make up the lie that there wasn’t enough evidence and they get to walk with reputations intact which’ll eventually, hopefully, lead gang unit to the big cheese.”

“That sounds fucked,” Joe snorted, “told you cops were jokes. Uh…minus you two.”

“So where’d the plan go wrong?” Max asked curiously.

Grabbing the last slice of the plantains, his father answered “Found one of my informants dead in an alley. OD on heroine.”

“Doubt it was suicide,” Emilio murmured, mostly to himself.

“That makes three of us,” his dad sighed, walking the few steps to the kitchen and opening the fridge. “I’m going to someone else but they’re skittish around cops so being out of the suit will put them at ease.” Taking out what Emilio knew to be the last yogurt – Linda’s in fact – and looking at it in disappointment like he was hoping for more, he shut the fridge and grabbed a spoon. “Hopefully.”

“What about Detective O’Brian?”

“What about him?”

“He’s gang unit,” Emilio explained though he was sure that if there as an angle here, his father would have thought of it already. “He’s gotta know something about this guy they want to catch.”

His father was shaking his head while licking his spoon clean. “Gang unit has nothing on this guy; that’s the problem. He runs a lot of shit but he’s elusive as hell. No one even has a codename for him. Plus, O’Brian wouldn’t know. His focus is solely the Bulgarians. And even if I thought he knew something, I wouldn’t bug him right now.”

“Rumor has it something big is going on with our Eastern Euro boys,” Ms. Savelio informed, “Chatter on the lines has been lighting up these past few days. We’re thinking either big shipment or a big deal is about to be made. I don’t think O’Brian’s gone home in three days from how focused he is right now.”

Eastern Euro boys. Emilio couldn’t help the memories that came with that. Him and Joseph had always wanted to see what home base looked like. When the casino had been rebuilt, they’d been allowed to see it but only to an extent. “How’re they doing?” he couldn’t help but ask. If he was asking for anyone, it was definitely Mr. Yulian and Asen.

Mr. Kavinsky could go burn in hell.

Not that he wouldn’t.

“I don’t keep tabs,” his father said as he tossed his yogurt cup in the trash and the spoon in the sink, “but as far as I know, no one’s dead.”

“I heard from Leena that Lord Kovachev was in the hospital about a month ago,” Ms. Savelio said with a shrug. “Flu, I think.”

Lord…? “Who?” Emilio asked in confusion, “I don’t know who that is.”

“Asen’s father,” his dad explained as he now searched through the cabinets. It wasn’t Friday yet so everything was pretty much empty. “Leena said that?”

“Asen’s dad?” Emilio repeated in concern. The man was around Mr. Dobrev’s would be age, wasn’t he? Emilio hoped he was alright. He’d met him only once but he had seemed nice enough. And he really liked Asen so obviously he didn’t want his father to be ill. “Is he okay?”

“As far as I heard,” Ms. Savelio answered, leaning on the wall, her long boots making her somehow fiercer than usual. Like ‘I can step on you and not get blood on my pants.’ “He’s getting frail but rumor has it Kavinsky doesn’t want to push him out.”

Settling on an apple that wasn’t exactly the prettiest, his father said after a bite “He wouldn’t. He likes old man wisdom and Lubomir’s the only one he can stand for that.”

“So these bitches a mob?” Joe asked, glancing between them all and looking more interested than Emilio had ever seen him. “That’s so fucking cool. We got shit like that around here?”

Emilio’s eyes caught on Max who’d never looked more bored in his life. Weirdo. Him and Joe were complete opposites right now. “Yeah, Bulgarian mob. Biggest and most organized crime dudes in Hoboken. Scary bitches. He’s frail?” he asked Ms. Savelio in surprise, “He can’t be that old. He’s probably around Mr. Dobrev’s age, right? So what? Seventy? I’ve seen strong old guys. No way mob man is getting frail.”

“Rumors can always be wrong,” she shrugged, “but if he is, it’s going to get a lot of attention. He’s third in line for the throne.”

“Fourth,” Emilio corrected, “Asen comes first, they just don’t know it. Only the top do.”

“How do you know all this?”

He turned to the disinterested but carefully curious face of Max. It seemed like such a practiced expression. “Don’t laugh but my ex-boyfriend is from thee mob family of Hoboken.”

Joe whistled in appreciation. “Shortbabe knows how to pick ‘em!”

“Doesn’t he,” his dad snorted like he disagreed which was rude, excuse him. Walking over to Emilio, he pulled him into a careful hug and kissed his head. “Guess what I’m going to say.”

“Something along the lines of ‘don’t worry, mijo, I’ll figure this out.’”

“Exactly. So?”

“I’ll try my best not to worry,” he sighed in defeat, going boneless in his father’s strong arms. “No guarantees, though, pop man. Man, Marcus is gonna freak. Oh my God, and mama, she’s never going to let me out of her sight.”

“Probably not. Good for you she works, huh?”

“Funny,” Emilio said purely without amusement, giving his father a glare. It was going to feel like house arrest or something, dammit. “This is gonna suck.”

“Not the fun kind,” Joe added, fully serious.

“Yup,” his father nodded and it took a second for Emilio to realize that he wasn’t actually agreeing with Joe, “he sure knows how to pick ‘em.”

“Aw, cop man, I’m legit!”

Scrunching his face, his father shook his head and sighed “He reminds of Jax in every bad way.” Emilio laughed, ignoring the pain slicing through his chest for the moment. “Now there’s going to be two of them. Dear Lord, help me.” Glancing at Max, he said “Please tell me that at least you’re normal?”

Putting on a grin that sure _looked_ normal, Max answered in amusement “Of course.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> I already said this on Proko's story but lemme say it here too
> 
> Because I'm trying to finish up Joseph's story, I'm changing the updating for this and Proko's story to every other week. So no chpt next week but one the week after and so on.
> 
> Enjoy

“Oh my God, stop buzzing the damn bell!” Emilio shouted even though he knew that whoever the annoying piece of shit was that was doing the buzzing couldn’t hear him all the way downstairs _and_ outside. But they just wouldn’t stop and it was annoying as hell. Slamming the button that turned on the intercom, he snapped “Fucking who?”

“No manners, your bae,” Joe laughed to Marcus at the same time as the voice over the intercom laughed “Is that how we speak, nieto?”

Emilio’s jaw dropped in happy shock at hearing the crazy woman’s voice. She’d gone to Connecticut before Joseph had even moved and Emilio hadn’t seen her since. Obviously they talked almost every day but that was hardly enough for him. Pushing the button, he asked in excitement “Crazy lady, is that you?”

“No, nieto, it’s the Chupacabra. Come open the gate.”

Snapping his fingers at Marcus, he said “Go open for the craziest old lady ever.”

“Demanding,” Max noted, still entirely focused on his work. “Guess you’re into that?”

Marcus gave Max a glare as he got to his feet and crowded Emilio into the wall beside the door. “Where’s the ‘please?’”

“Stuck so far up my ass that I can’t find it.” Joe choked on his cookie. Pecking Marcus on the lips, he said sweetly “Please? Going down those stairs would really hurt my chest and-”

“Alright, alright,” Marcus snorted, rolling his eyes as he opened the door. “The sympathy card isn’t working anymore after a week of you doing nothing but wallowing in bed, love.”

“Thought I’d try anyways,” Emilio laughed, the tightness not as pronounced as before, thank God.

Joe was leaning in his chair, munching on yet another cookie as he asked “Who she?”

“My grandma,” Emilio answered happily, practically bouncing in place as he waited. He had no problems with being that one dude who thought his grandma was one of the coolest people on earth. “I haven’t seen her in a couple years. I’ve missed her a shit ton. I didn’t even know she was coming. This is sooo awesome-”

“Aye, I appreciate the excitement, nieto,” came his grandmother’s laugh as she walked into the door, looking the same as ever. Emilio practically threw himself into her waiting arms, hugging the life out of her as best as he could with a cast on his arm. He wasn’t her favorite for nothing, thank you. “Hola, hola, hola. Como estas, mi amor?”

Stuffing his face into her shoulder – they were the same goddamn height – Emilio whispered “I’ve missed you soooo much.”

Laughing in that old lady way he loved, she replied “I knew you are my favorite for a reason.” Emilio laughed with a nod of agreement. “Also, your Marcus is a handsome one, huh?”

“No shit.”

Marcus sounded surprised as he asked “Oh…uh, you know?”

“Emilio keeps no secrets from me,” she said smugly as they broke from their embrace before she stood Marcus directly in front of her. Her eyes were squinted with that intense scrutinizing power that old women were gifted with as she sized him up. “If you are no good for my Emilio, I will know by the end of today. You will be lucky if you survive.”

Honestly, it’d be Emilio who’d be lucky to survive if abuela found out that he had kept a secret from her. Actually, the whole family had kept the secret of him getting jumped from everyone. His mother had disagreed with the decision but his father swore that it’d give him peace of mind from their worrying.

They all knew it was a bad choice and it’d probably bite them in the ass today.

He was so caught up in listening to abuela talking with Marcus, Max, and Joe that Emilio didn’t realize that there were literally two other people standing in his home. One, he knew. Well, mostly knew but hadn’t seen since he lived back in Connecticut. The other?

Not so much. But…from how oddly familiar the man looked…

The man noticed Emilio’s examining gaze and stuck out a hand. “I guess the best place to start would be formally. Luis Vidal.”

Taking the hand hesitantly with abuela and tío Enrique’s gazes watching carefully like this was some grand test, Emilio replied “Emilio. Obviously.” He turned to his grandmother in worry, “Please tell me papi knew you were coming today? With guests specifically?” Oh God, his father was going to freak. Oh God, the man wasn’t just going to freak, he was going to be royally and grandly pissed.

Oh God. Emilio was too afraid to just _call_ his father to tell him.

Maybe he’d just let him come home to the surprise.

“Your grandfather is hardly a guest,” tío Enrique cut in to a conversation that wasn’t his. He was the youngest of his father’s siblings but the tallest. Also the one that had put up with abuelo all these years though Emilio had a feeling that they got along the best together. “Don’t be rude.”

Cute, really cute. Seriously. Not able to keep his flaring attitude at bay, Emilio smiled a Mr. Kavinsky smile and replied “Being that I’ve never spoken to this man in my life, he’s a guest in this home. A stranger. No one ever told him to act like he didn’t have another son.”

There was an impressed whistle and Emilio easily knew that it was Joe. Easily. Abuelo, no, _Luis_ because he didn’t deserve that title gave Emilio a look. “You are so Raul it’s unbelievable.”

“Shouldn’t be being that he’s my father and I’m the only boy. Not to say that my sisters aren’t totally insane either because they totally are.”

“Swear to God,” Marcus laughed as he took his seat back at the dining table, “Jax is still terrified of Maria, man. No fucking lie. Swears he has nightmares of her and her pointed nails.”

Emilio broke into a laugh before shaking his head in his amusement and gesturing the couches. “Please, my guests, have a seat. Abuela, no bags?”

Tío Enrique took a seat and gave a curious glance around the apartment. “I thought we’d get a hotel room-”

“You’re joking,” Emilio interrupted in a deadpanned disbelief. As fucking if. Sitting down in his chair between Marcus and Max, he snorted “Get a hotel, he says. The fuck?”

“I…didn’t think you guys had room.”

He wasn’t even going to bother deigning that insulting statement with an answer. Emilio totally rolled his eyes though. “You wanna eat before you go?” he asked his sexy bae who was trying to finish up the last of his homework before he had to catch the bus to Eddy’s. “There’s a high chance there’s peanut butter and bread.”

“How high we talking?” Joe asked curiously, leaning in from across the table with narrowed eyes. “And…why wasn’t I offered to be a part of this chance? Is it because he’s your bae and I’m not? I can totally kiss you for a sandwich.”

Max was shaking his head like ‘why the fuck do I have to hang out with these people’ while Marcus looked just about ready to beat Joe into a pulp for mentioning kisses. Pushing Joe back with a finger on his nose, Emilio replied “I prefer my kisses not to taste like licorice and smoke.”

“That is the wrong way to answer that,” Marcus grumbled.

“And,” Emilio continued with a smile, “I wouldn’t want your kisses anyways.”

“Shot down,” Max snorted. Emilio didn’t think he’d ever met someone who literally just kept working when no one around him was. This dude was one fucking dedicated worker, goddamn.

“I’ll make you something,” abuela said, suddenly already going through the cabinets like old times. It may be a new apartment but they were creatures of habit. “I’ll make both of you. Nieto, something to eat? Max?”

“Oh, no, no, thank you,” Marcus said quickly, “You just got here. I can-”

“Emilio, tell him no one denies my right to make food.”

“No one denies her the right to make food,” Emilio passed on with a laugh. “And no thank you. I just didn’t want him to go to work hungry. Aren’t I the sweetest?”

“I guess I’ll be the one to ask,” tío Enrique sighed from his couch where he sat beside Luis. He looked a little hesitant but he asked “There, uh, seems to be a lot of…implication…of uh-”

Luis was legit rolling his eyes as he cut in. “He’s trying to ask if you’re gay. No way with words, your uncle.”

“I was trying to go about it sensitively.”

Emilio shrugged without a care. Going around it sensitively just made him seem worse than outright just asking. Though he never realized that he’d have to come out all over again to his family. He and Joseph had poured over tons of articles and videos about the coming out experience, trying to see if they’d find a good way for Joseph to go about it to at least his mother.

The world knew how all that went down.

Point was though, was that some people had said that there was no simple coming out. It had to be done again and again and again. Emilio hadn’t really gotten the concept because he’d come out and that was that.

Now he was getting the concept.

“I’m bi,” he said, acting like he didn’t have the sudden fear of rejection looming over his head. It didn’t matter that these were people he didn’t see often or even barely knew; rejection was rejection. “And Marcus is my boyfriend.”

“I’d be your boy for a peanut butter sandwich,” Joe offered. “I’m eeeasy. But your purely platonic boy, man, and I’ll have my lady on the side.”

“You don’t have a lady.”

Joe crossed his arms and laughed, leaning back in the chair. Emilio was worried that one of these days, the legs would just snap or Joe would lean back too far and slam into the floor. “Well, no, but if I did.”

“I find it ironic that out of all the kids, Raul’s the one with the gay one,” Enrique mused softly, probably meaning for the words to be only for himself and his out loud thoughts. Obviously, Emilio caught the words and didn’t appreciate them at all. Especially because they brought up memories of his father’s initial reaction. The horrible cold shouldered rejection. “Karma.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emilio couldn’t help but snap. “And there’s a difference between gay and bisexual. You can’t go around labeling every queer person as gay when they might identify as something else. That’s just rude.”

Luis was literally laughing. He didn’t even seem to care about the contents of the conversation which Emilio had to admit, was kind of nice. Refreshing that this relatively older man didn’t give a crap. “Yup, definitely Raul and his attitude.”

“You haven’t seen me with attitude yet.” There was a snort but no more forthcoming words from the man who was biologically his grandfather. Satisfied, Emilio turned back to his uncle. “And what do you mean ‘karma?’”

“No more of this,” abuela cut in, sliding a sandwich each to Marcus and Joe. “He’s foolish in his words; he means nothing of them, amor.”

“Karma generally means something,” Joe said, dissolving the sandwich in a minute with Emilio watching in utter fascination. Who the hell could eat like that? Why the hell was this guy so freaking skinny if he ate like that? Jesus. “Sort of like ‘in your fucking face, bitch’ brought to you by the world.”

Shaking his head and sliding over the outline of policies for their country that he’d been working on, Max said “I think we should add in universal healthcare-”

Honestly, if this project was ever going to get done, all the credit had to go to Max being that he was the only one who ever actually got shit done.

“Wow, a rich boy worried for the poor.” Joe ripped off a piece of Marcus’ sandwich, receiving a glare in response. Really, it was the typical Marcus reaction to anything Joe. Especially when he heard Joe call Emilio shortbabe. Emilio knew for a fact that Joe did all this because he loved annoying Marcus. “That’s fucking unnatural. Rich people don’t ever give a shit.”

“Joseph gave a shit,” Emilio couldn’t help but mumble even though no one cared nor asked. It wasn’t his fault his immediate reaction to just about anything was always his asshole ex slash absolute bestest friend. “Not everyone who has money is an ass with it.” While he knew he should add Mr. Kavinsky as one of the most generous people, Emilio couldn’t bring himself to do it. “Some people genuinely care.”

“Oh yeah?” Joe challenged, disbelief easily evident in his eyes. Whatever his story was, Emilio knew it had to be a difficult one. “Let’s say your pops can’t meet rent this month, you think anyone’s gonna give a fuck and help him out?”

“I would,” tío Enrique tossed in, “Not that he’d ask but I would. Our sister would and our older brother. Mama would. Papa.”

Joe’s very Italian nose scrunched up. “I ain’t talkin’ family. Family helps, it’s how they is. Does he know anyone who’d give him a couple thousand on short notice and not come knocking the next day as if he suddenly magically had the money?”

Emilio crossed his arms and made himself comfortable in his chair. “Yeah, actually. A couple people if he really had to. He never would because he doesn’t like to but there’s people.”

The greaser boy didn’t look convinced, the challenge in his posture even greater like he was pissed he wasn’t making his point. “Fine, fine. You just been released from the hospital,” Emilio tried really hard not to wince and prayed his family thought it was a hypothetical situation, “and now yous thousands in debt, yeah?” Joe waited and when Emilio said nothing, he repeated “Yeah?”

Just great. “I don’t see the bills, I wouldn’t know.”

“Don’t act like a smartass. Yeah or no?”

Huffing and rolling his eyes, Emilio all but snapped “I mean, yeah, I guess. Hospitals are expensive.”

“Universal healthcare,” Max repeated, circling the little note on his paper a couple times. “Universal.”

Max was completely ignored. “A’ight, now imagine that he needs to pay that five thousand minimum payment-”

“I don’t think that’s how high a minimum is.”

Now Emilio’s words were completely ignored, Joe producing his infamous licorice from his jacket and munching on it. “Now who’s gonna help? He needs someone rich and he ain’t gonna find-”

“Mr. Kavinsky,” Emilio burst out because now he was pissed that he had to admit that, yes, the man probably would still want to pay their bills. The bastard was too generous for his own good. “Lord Ivo Kavinsky will pay our bills. He’d buy us this entire apartment building if he was so inclined because he’s a stupid fucking piece of generous shit. If there is one thing that God cannot hate about that disgusting man, it’s his generosity.”

“Amen,” abuela snorted, already making a list of everything she planned to buy for the kitchen. His father was going to be pissed; he hated when she always tried to pay and provide because to him, that was his job as her son to care for her. “El diablo will burn for years by God’s grace.”

“That’s Joseph’s dad, ain’t it?” Marcus asked curiously as he packed up his stuff, getting ready to go.

“Aye, mi amor Joseph, may God be with you.” His grandmother literally took a minute to sit and pray before she was back to her list and her hateful words. “If I see Ivo myself, I will break that man. That is my promise. I will-”

“I don’t know if you can break a mobster, abuela,” Emilio laughed, cutting her off before she went on a full blown rant because she sure as hell knew how. “I heard they’re tough bitches.”

“He will not touch me so I have the upper hand. He is many things but he will not hurt an old woman.”

“Why the fuck,” Joe cut in, still looking quite pissed, “would a rich ass mobster give a shit about a cop? Look, man, I’ll admit, I like your pops and I respect what he does but ain’t no mobster who does. You actually think if you call up this dude, he gonna give a fuck that yous was in the hospital? That some some bangers kicked your shrimpy ass?”

“Watch yourself,” Marcus threatened, anger flashing through his big brown eyes that were legit the most expressive and beautiful eyes that Emilio had ever seen, “before I kick your ass.”

“Hospital?” abuela said in surprise, her hand frozen over her list. “What hospital?”

Joe looked at her incredulously and Emilio knew that he was so fucked today. “When he got jumped like two weeks ago or something.” Abuela kept staring and Emilio dropped his face into his hands as Joe continued “The bangers…who beat the shit…you…don’t know, do you…”

“Thank you,” Emilio groaned into his palms, “Thank you so fucking much, you asshole.” If Emilio bothered to pick up his head, he’d notice that Joe actually looked sheepish. “Juuuust wonderful.”

“A beating.” Emilio peeked through his fingers at his very angry looking grandmother. While he may be so totally screwed, his father was going to have it so much worse. “Why was I not told? I talked to you a million times over the past two weeks and you do not tell me something like this?” Emilio closed his fingers. “Pendejo, look at me.”

Oh and now she was calling names. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Peeking through his fingers again, Emilio whispered “I told you I broke my arm.”

“You broke nothing,” she snapped, tossing her pen on the counter in her anger. He knew it stemmed from her concern and fear for him but it didn’t make it any easier to handle. “They broke it. What else did they break?”

Biting his lip behind the safety of his hands, he replied quietly “A lung and a few ribs. One broken, the others bruised. Um…and they totally exploded my spleen. Like totally ‘ploot.’”

“Aw shit did you get to keep it in a jar?” Joe asked in wonder. “I wanna see.”

“The fuck is wrong with you people,” Marcus muttered as he put on his shoes then grabbed his bag. He pointed at Emilio, “At least when he said that, he was on drugs and didn’t know what the hell he was saying. Who keeps a ruptured spleen in a jar?”

“I have a picture,” Emilio whispered, not able to halt the laugh growing from the look Marcus gave him. Max was just shaking his head and continued working, that fucker, while Joe’s entire demeanor lit up. Abuela, on the other hand, was still looking very very pissed. “It’s like a popped balloon. Well, _was._ It’s like in the trash or something now. Wherever they dispose old organs.”

 And now Marcus was looking as pissed as abuela, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s not a fucking joke; you could’ve genuinely _died_.”

Great, scare the crap out of abuela some more, why didn’t he. “But I didn’t and there’s no point in dwelling on that. Karma will catch up with them eventually.”

His very frustrated angrily annoyed boyfriend yanked the door open and said in a very brutally sarcastic voice “Oh yeah, totally. I mean, they haven’t been enjoying their freedom or anything because you weren’t important enough on a couple of detectives’ lists. And you haven’t left your place in a week because you’re too scared to or anything. Yup, karma is really winning out.”

And he slammed the door in goodbye.

“Way to be an ass,” Emilio called, saluting the shut door as his own form of goodbye. Looking back to abuela, Emilio said “Go ahead, your turn to chew Emilio out on things that are completely out of his hands.” Abuela just shook her head and walked to the girls’ room, quietly shutting the door behind herself. “Lovely. Great to have you back. Killed my excitement in a matter of five minutes.”

“I thought it was more like ten,” Max murmured, giving Emilio an amused smirk, probably the most emotion he’d gotten from this guy. “But hey, who’s counting?”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> My bro is dying for me to get Emilio beat up again and I'm just like why???? So cruel  
> Enjoy

When Claudia walked into her home after a very long day of work and a quick stop at the small market at the corner to grab a few essentials, she’d expected to be able to just…put her feet up and relax. Watch a little tv maybe and just become one with the couch. Have the girls get dinner ready even though Linda always burned any and all rice and Alicia somehow managed to make the food so spicy that even them, who ate spicy like no else, couldn’t handle it.

That was what she’d been hoping.

However, when she walked in, she was greeted with, well, a heck of a surprise. And, to be entirely honest, not a good one. No, not at all. She had no problems with Mercedes coming back and living with them, none whatsoever, because she was the sweetest most helpful woman. Not to mention that the kids adored their grandmother being that they’d grown up with her around.

So Claudia had absolutely no problems on that end. They’d get her a bed and she could go back to sharing with Emilio or they could get another bunk bed and she could stay with the girls. Up to her. Claudia would move mountains for that woman.

Claudia didn’t have a problem with Enrique at all either. In fact, he was her favorite out of Raul’s siblings and the closest to her husband anyways. He was sweet and kind and funny and that was good enough for her. Not to say that Mateo and Carlea weren’t nice because they were but because Raul was closer with Enrique, Claudia found herself more comfortable with the youngest Vidal.

All of that was perfectly fine.

Finding Luis sitting on her couch was not.

She didn’t…despise the man but she definitely didn’t like him. What was there to like when he made her kids feel like they were nothing compared to their cousins? Or how about how he made Raul feel for more than half his life? And if she wanted to get personal, the list would never end. She was fat, old, a cougar, and the list could go on.

On and on and on.

But Claudia was polite if nothing else and this man was still Raul’s father and still her kids’ grandfather and so she put a smile on her face and swore to herself that she’d be nothing but well mannered as she shut the front door behind herself. “Well, this is a surprise.”

“Ah, the excitement,” Emilio muttered from the kitchen table, doing homework. By the look on his face, he must have been doing work for a long time because he looked incredibly frustrated, his hair sticking up on one side like his hand had been there and that little between the eye wrinkle he’d gotten from Raul coming to play. “Fucking surprises. Fucking chemistry.”

Ah, the bane of Emilio’s existence.

Science.

“Freaking surprises and freaking chemistry,” she corrected with a sigh as she carried the bags into the kitchen, setting them on the counter. She knew there was no point in trying to fix his words anymore but she still tried. It was the principle of the matter. She didn’t want to show how relieved she was when she saw that there was already food cooking on the stove. God, she loved Mercedes. Dipping a finger in, Claudia said to the old woman as she came from the hall “Needs salt.”

“I’m old and possibly dying. No salt,” Mercedes laughed, squeezing Claudia into a tight hug. “How are you? You look good.”

At least someone noticed she’d lost a few pounds. She appreciated it. “Why thank you, not too shabby yourself.” Mercedes shook her head in amusement, already emptying the bags. “Let’s talk surprises.”

“Let’s talk Emilio.”

Oh boy. Stupid Raul and his idea. She was so not going to take the blame for that one.

“Let’s talk Luis.”

“Let’s talk Emilio.”

“You’re going to have to take that one up with Raul,” Claudia replied, adding salt to the pot and stirring. “I told him it’s a stupid idea and he said he’s saving himself from headaches.” She was totally throwing him under the bus but she was too tired today to play nice for him and his stupid plans. Dipping and licking her finger – now happy with the salt content – she added “Now let’s talk Luis.”

“I am sitting right here,” he called from the couch, looking none too pleased at being talked around. “Right here.”

“Mama!” Alondra shouted, fists raised to the sky as she came bouncing over, throwing herself at Claudia. “Mama, I might have to beat up Alicia so this is the only warning I’m giving.”

There was a noise that suspiciously sounded like someone falling out of bed before Alicia practically ran into the small kitchen, flushed face and angry. “She broke my necklace-”

“It was an accident and then you broke-”

“Because you broke my-”

“Well, it was-”

“Oh-kay,” Claudia cut in because they would never ever finish. “Everyone stop.” Massaging her temples and her aching head, Claudia asked with closed eyes “Whatever is broken, put on the table and we’ll see if we can fix them. Each of you apologize to the other-”

“But-”

“I’m not finished,” she said sternly, giving a glare to Alondra, “Apologize to each other and if these broken things are unfixable, we’ll talk more. Off you go.” Alicia’s eyes were screaming what her mouth couldn’t as she spun around and stalked off, Alondra following in her wake.

“Pft,” Emilio snorted, chin in palm as he watched his sisters stalk off, “Girls. Drama queens.”

“As opposed to your depressed ass?” Alicia snapped, dropping her broken necklace onto the table. It was the one she’d gotten for her birthday, the chain broken in two. “’Boohoo, I’m Emilio-”

“Stop,” Claudia sighed tiredly, not up for fights tonight. She didn’t care if she had to shove someone off a couch, she was damn well throwing herself on one and watching some damn tv. “I’m really not up for this right now, guys.”

They both looked relatively guilty which she took as a win as Enrique asked “When does Raul come home?”

She kind of liked the nervous look Luis had on his face. Like he knew that Raul wouldn’t appreciate him being around, which, he better know by now after years of them not talking. “Usually around this time unless he’s onto something and forgets that he has a home.”

“Happens a lot,” Emilio supplied, turning back to his work though Claudia was sure that if she looked, he wouldn’t have gotten much of anything done, even from before she came home. He’d always struggled in any type of science and him missing school wasn’t helping. She’d have to convince him to go back before his grades tanked. He was an average student as it was. “Plus, right now, he’s trying to figure out who big fish is.”

_“So nothing,” she said, trying not to be frustrated but how could she not when the men who’d nearly killed her son were still walking around?_

_Raul looked as frustrated as her as he pulled on a pair of socks before pulling back the blanket and getting into bed. “I’m working on it.”_

_“Raul, if gang unit has been trying to get this guy for a while now and has nothing, what makes you think that you can in the span of the last week?”_

_He gave her an annoyed glare but they both knew her words weren’t wrong. “I’m trying here.”_

_“As I’m sure they have. But you have a one up to them that you don’t seem to be using.”_

_With a raised brow of confusion, Raul asked “A one up? Sure, I’ve got a lot of informants but-”_

_Untying her hair and floofing it a bit to let it breathe, she sat down on the bed and gave him the all-powerful look of ‘keep up here.’ “Not informants.”_

_“Then…?”_

_Maybe he was just tired or had genuinely erased the man. “Ivo, Raul.” He opened his mouth to speak but she kept going, unwilling to hear his protest when her child’s welfare was at stake. “Hoboken is his meaning he knows every single player in it. Ask him.”_

That’d been two days ago. He still hadn’t gone and asked and they were both a little annoyed with each other right now. Having Luis around was not going to help. She was surprised he hadn’t called or texted her asking if it was true or of him complaining. Linda had sent her a message and-

Crap.

Walking over to Emilio at the table and acting like she was looking at Alicia’s necklace and checking over his homework, she asked softly “Papa doesn’t know, does he.”

Emilio smirked and shook his head. “We figured it wasn’t safe for text,” he whispered back.

Lovely.

  

* * *

 

Upon reaching home, Raul was ready to just decompose on the couch. Hell, he’d take the floor. He was feeling both tired and like a failure so the floor would work great. He knew Claudia was right but he hated being wrong so…yeah. He was a little immature, leave him be, please.

Climbing up the stairs as he yawned, he tried to think of some way to prolong going to Ivo. He sure as hell didn’t want to but he had to admit, it was a good idea that would probably yield him an answer. “Fuck my life,” he muttered grudgingly as he put his key in the lock and turned, only to find the lock already open.

When he walked in, it was literally like the whole house went silent which was beyond unnatural for them. But regardless, he shucked off his shoes and locked the door and only then did he actually pay attention, his eyes stopping at the kitchen table.

“Fuck. My. Life.”

“Language, papa,” Alondra laughed. He knew she was laughing because of _why_ he’d used bad language. She was cruel, this child of his. “We’ll put a jalapeño in your mouth.”

He was too…hell, he didn’t even have a word for seeing his father just sitting there at his table. And eating. Eating his food, goddamn him. “Raul.”

If that was supposed to be hello after years of silence, it was complete bullshit. “Enrique, tell your father-”

“Oh my God,” Enrique groaned, covering his face with his hands and sounding the like the kid brother that Raul knew existed under all that fancy lawyerness, “No, we are not starting that again.”

“I hadn’t realized we’d ever stopped.” His gaze caught with his mother’s and while he really really wanted to smile for her and give her a suffocating hug and tell her how much he missed her, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. She’d brought this man here. He knew for a fact that if she hadn’t been nagging his father for the whole time she’d been in Connecticut, he’d never have come. “Why hello.”

“Oh no no no no,” she snapped, for some reason already pissed, as she got out of her chair and stalked over to him with her evil finger accusing and ready. “You do not get to be angry with me.”

Raul couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face. “I don’t?”

Poking him in the chest, his mother replied “No. Stop smiling.” Everyone knew and expected that to obviously make him smile larger which only bugged her even more. “Why didn’t you tell me about Emilio?”

The smile slowly into a sheepish grin. Ah fuck, he was fucked. “Well…uhmm…”

“Uhuh, I’m listening. Go ahead and make your excuses.”

“I didn’t want you to worry,” he said smoothly even though he knew for a fact that there was no way that’d work on her. “Ow,” he grumbled, rubbing his arm where she slapped him. The angry woman was now crossing her arms and daring him to lie again. He knew that look. With a sigh, he added “I was avoiding headache.”

“Because I’m a headache, huh, Raul?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” He saw the next slap coming and easily grabbed her hand with a satisfied smirk. “You miss-”

“She got two hands, pop man,” Emilio called from the table as he laughed at Raul getting caught by the other vicious hand. “Two. She caught me with both already.”

“Pendejo,” his mother hissed at Emilio, not entirely in good old laughing nature which was odd because there wasn’t much of anything that could make her mad at him. “You scared me.”

“He pulled the ‘I’m dying’ act again,” Maria laughed, halting from taking a drink midway so she could be the one to tell. “Like really convincingly too. You should have seen how freaked abuela was.”

His mother was looking far from amused, giving Maria the evil glare at level two. There were five levels and they didn’t bother taking his mother seriously until she reached five. “That’s funny, huh? That’s funny? I thought he was serious.”

“Everyone does the first time,” Emilio laughed and Raul loved that the pain wasn’t so evident on his face anymore. “Man, abuela you should’ve seen when I did it to Marcus. God, I thought he was going to sit there and bawl his eyes out. No joke.”

“I loved when you did it to me,” Claudia smiled but it was the evil smile. “I thought it was hilarious.”

When Emilio had done it to Raul, he’d panicked like hell thinking that Emilio’s lung had collapsed all over again because it was so fragile right now. When he did it to Claudia and she found out he was pranking her, she slammed him so hard in the chest that Raul legitimately thought he’d be taking Emilio to the hospital that day.

But it seemed nurses knew exactly where to hit.

Clutching his shirt in memory over where she’d hit him a few days ago, Emilio gave her a wary glance before scooting his seat closer to Alicia. “You’re not funny.”

Pulling out his phone as it rang, Raul opened the line with Kehaulani, deciding that he was so not dealing with his father today. He wanted to stay the night? Sure, as long as he didn’t speak. “You literally just dropped me off like five minutes ago. You should’ve come down, my mother seems to be in a slapping mood. You can take the heat for me.”

His mother gave him a glare before yanking the phone from his hand. Raul swore that sometimes his mother loved his partner more than she loved him. No lie. “Kehaulani, how are you? Yes? Good, good…”

Zoning out their conversation and walking over to the kitchen with a yawn, he rubbed his little brother’s head. Enrique grimaced and tried to swat Raul’s hand away but that never worked before and it wasn’t going to work now. “Stop. I’m a grown up now, you aren’t supposed to do these things.” He grabbed Raul’s hand with a triumphant smile to which Raul used his other to slap the back of Enrique’s head with a winning laugh. “Oh my God. Grow up.”

“Pft, why would I do that?” he asked, grabbing a plate from the dish rack along with a spoon and fork. “Where’s the fun? Then I’d just be Mateo. Boorrringgg.”

He waited for his father to make some snarky remark because that was just what he did but surprisingly, nothing was forthcoming. Turning around and staring at the man with a raised brow, Raul wondered what kind of threats his mother had put on him. Had to be major because his father loved when he got to say how much better and more accomplished Mateo was. He’d tried to rub Enrique in his face before but it never worked because Raul couldn’t find it within himself to let his jealousy burn against his kid brother. Turning to said brother, Raul asked “So…how long is this visit?”

 Yeah, he didn’t like the way his brother blushed in embarrassment. It meant that Raul was definitely not going to like this answer. Scratching just under his ear like he always did when he was nervous, Enrique answered “Well…I’m planning on staying at least a week-”

“A week! Hey, that’s great,” Raul said with a very fake smile because he knew what the rest of the sentence was. He so couldn’t handle having his father in his house and Enrique was going to just leave him here? Dear God, Raul wouldn’t be able to survive. “Perfect amount of time.”

“-but mama and papa are going to-”

“Mama can always stay, she knows that.”

“And _papa_ -”

“You can’t leave him here,” Raul practically pleaded, setting his plate on the counter and groaning into his hands. “I’m going to die.”

He didn’t need to look at his father to see the annoyance. Raul could hear it just fine in his voice. “I’m not some-”

Someone punched his shoulder and Raul turned to find his mother thrusting his phone at him. “Take.”

Accepting and seeing that the call was still open, while eagerly moving on from a conversation that he wasn’t enjoying, he put it to his ear as he slouched against his counter. “Yeah.”

“So, as wonderful as speaking with your mother is, that’s not why I called.”

“Obviously.”

“Ron called me like the minute I dropped you-”

“I’m not playing the fake boyfriend over the phone again. Or if I am, it’ll cost more than a coffee. Lunch at least and more than just a sandwich.”

Claudia laughed. “Ron?” Raul nodded, making that special face that was reserved just for Detective Ron Scolli. The man was nice but that was all he had going for him. “Maybe she’ll like him, you never know.”

Raul gave her another face, except this time it was much more ‘wtf?? You crazy???’ as Kehaulani snorted “He wasn’t asking me out.”

“Oh. Too bad, I wanted lunch.”

“I bought lunch today.”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want to pay tomorrow.”

“Ass.” Raul laughed. “Anyways, I got bad news.”

Wonderful. “Oooh, bad news. I live for bad news. What bad news can Ron give you anyways? He’s not even in our precinct what with being over by-” Ron’s precinct was more towards the projects. And Ron was in gang unit. “Juan or Carlos?” Emilio’s head flew up from his food, watching Raul intently if the burning sensation in his side was anything to go by.

“Carlos. Dead in an alley.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, grasping the bridge of his nose and shutting his eyes. “Dead how?”

“Dead?” Emilio asked in shock. “Like dead dead? Who? Which one?”

“Is there another kind,” Linda snorted softly, wiping her hands on her napkin before taking a sip of juice.

“Bullet between the eyes but it seems he took one hell of a beating before that. Found in an alley. No one can seem to find Juan which is where their pointing fingers right now.”

No, that didn’t fit. They’d seemed close when Raul met them and it seemed like it’d take a lot for Juan to take out his buddy. Even Jax had said that they stuck together like glue. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Me neither. I’m thinking-”

“Big fish,” they said together falling into a thoughtful silence after. Where had Carlos gone wrong? Or maybe big fish knew they were being used? But then Juan would be a target too…and where had he disappeared to?

There was tapping on the table before Emilio finally snapped “Hello? Emilio needs to know over here.”

It was all getting complicated and dirty and Raul knew he had that one option that he just didn’t want to use left. Honestly, it was his best bet and would probably get him somewhere but it didn’t mean he was eager about. “Okay so…I have an idea.” Claudia cleared her throat and Raul rolled his eyes. “Claudia had an idea that I entirely disapprove of-”

“Ivo, yeah, I know, she called me. We were waiting to see how long it’d take you.”

“Called you,” Raul sighed with a tired nod, “’Course she did. I should’ve saw that coming.”

“Should’ve,” Claudia agreed as she got up and took his plate, returning back to the table to put him food. “You’re getting stupid with age.”

“I’m not old,” he muttered sullenly. Age was not something he was eager for. Age wasn’t kind to cops, only to mobsters. While it made cops achy and creaking and tired, it made mobsters stoic and distinguished and even more formidable. It made him tired and…tired.

“I saw a gray hair, papa,” Alondra said so helpfully. What would he do without her? Nothing, nothing at all. She’d sell his soul if she could. Not hers, his. Hers was too good to be sold. “Three.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Did too.”

“Hello?” Emilio cut in, “Dead man?”

Raul pointedly ignored him. He wasn’t talking murder in the middle of his kitchen, thank you. “Alright so what do you think?”

“Duh, we go. There’s no way he doesn’t know. He’s like a fucking hawk, sees and knows it all.”

He felt a grimace grow on his face. There was nothing in the world that made him want to go talk to Ivo. Nothing at all. But what choice did he have?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> The next two (maybe three, I haven't decided yet) chpts are in Raul's pov because that's the best way to go about his meeting with Ivo. Hope y'all don't mind
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> _“I’d like a loan of information.”_

“Come in,” Emilio murmured as he very frustratingly erased the problem he’d done completely wrong. What the fuck would he need chemistry for in his life? He was going to be a goddamn policeman so why the fuck did he need to suffer like this? “Fucking. Stupid. Chemistry.”

“Is it that bad?”

Emilio picked his head up from his textbook and notebook to look at his grandfather. It’d been almost two days and honestly, it was awkward as fuck. Nobody was sure how they were supposed to treat this man beside his father who completely ignored him or his mother who was falsely polite like the best goddamn host ever. “That bad.”

And being that Emilio was the loser who was stuck home, it seemed his grandfather wanted to start with Emilio for his ‘make things right’ mission.

Yay.

Luis stopped at Emilio’s dresser, taking a look at the mess atop it with an extremely interested gaze. Picking up a strewn manga, he flipped through it, paused for a second, and flicked through it some more before setting it back down. “Read much?”

“Not really. It’s either got to be really really interesting, required, I’m guilted into it, or a manga.”

He nodded and smelled the only bottle of cologne Emilio owned. “Junior likes manga too.”

“Junior?”

“Luis, Mateo’s son. Your cousin.”

“Ah,” Emilio nodded, a vague image of Luis Junior coming to mind. If he remembered right, he was Linda’s age maybe. “Luis Junior. Technically, he’s not really a junior though because tío Mateo is Mateo, not Luis.”

“True,” Luis acknowledged, continuing his loop around the small room, coming to a stop at the pile of laundry that was oozing out of the closet. Emilio was so getting to cleaning that, no lie. “But Junior is better than saying my own name. Soccer fan?” he asked, nudging the ball on the floor with a foot.

“Fútbol, man, what are you, white?” Luis chuckled and it was a kind of nice chuckle that reminded him of his father’s. Not that he’d _ever_ tell his pops that. Turning back to his homework that was technically in class work that was being completed at home, Emilio added “And yes. Me and papa play whenever he comes home early enough. I’ve yet to win but I think he cheats.”

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed – uninvited but fine – Luis replied “Well, he’s always been good at it. It’s his favorite.” Emilio just hummed in response, trying the stupid problem over again. Dear Lord, he was going to fail this class, he knew it. “How do you do in school?”

“I’m the stupid one.”

“I doubt that.”

Emilio snorted as he rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to be nice about it. I’m not as smart as my sisters. I get excited with a B. Minus. I’m not academically inclined, I’m not scholarship winning at sports, and I don’t even have a face or the height or the body to make me money. All I know how to do is run and I doubt I make record breaking times anyways. So can’t even do that.”

Okay, so, Emilio very often times felt like a big loser. Often often felt like that. He’d never spoken the words aloud to anyone because he didn’t want their stupid pity or ‘no, you’re amazing!’

No, no, he wasn’t. He was a five foot two and a half loser. All his sisters were gorgeous _and_ smart. Maria with her flooshing tight curls and ‘check me out, I’m almost a hair dresser’ and then Alicia, the soon to be civil engineer with these perfect eyebrows and natural long eyelashes and lips that, okay, Emilio was a little jealous of because he wanted lips like that. And he could go on. Linda who, even though she was still figuring out what she wanted to be, graduated a valedictorian or Alondra who was only eight and look at her. Already almost Emilio’s height and wanted to be in the Navy. Not to mention she had the confidence Emilio envied and would never have.

Then there was him. The only boy and not a thing going for him.

“And I’m bi, so, yeah. Not everyone likes that. Depending on where I work, it could hinder me. Yay me. Even people in my own rainbow community don’t like bisexuals.” Absently drawing lines on his paper, he murmured “I’m a loser all around. And don’t you dare give me a pep talk.”

Luis was silent for a time before crossing his legs up on the bed and leaning back against the headboard. “I can’t seem to equate anything of what you said with what I know.”

“You’ve known me for a day and half, Luis.”

“I’ve known you all your life.”

“I’ve never seen you in my life.”

There was the sound of nails scratching facial hair. “True but that doesn’t change what I’ve heard about you. Your tío Enrique actually rubs you in Isaac’s face. He likes your manners.”

“Wow, at least I got something going for me,” Emilio muttered sullenly. “Manners.”

“And you seem very nice-”

“Woohoo.”

“Sweet, at least to your family and your friends.”

“Mhhm.”

“And you’re a handsome young man, I don’t see why you say otherwise.”

“I’m average.”

“I’ve no doubt that Marcus fancies you very much. I’m sure he appreciates every aspect of how you look.”

Heat flushed his cheeks. Marcus always told him he was gorgeous but Emilio sure didn’t see it. Handsome, maybe, but not gorgeous. If he was gorgeous, he could be a model. And Joseph had always sworn that he loved everything about him. Victoria thought he was cute. With a sigh, he replied “Okay, fine, maybe you win there but that’s it.”

Folding his hands in his lap, Luis continued “All I’m saying is to not sell yourself so short. And why not time your runs to see how you’re doing? Couldn’t hurt.”

“Ugh, stop being supportive, you’re making it hard to hate you.”

Luis laughed and, Lord, did Emilio see his father in every inch of this man. His father would hate to hear that. “Well, then it looks like my mission is going well! So far a success.”

Hah, he knew it’d been a mission. Emilio could be smart, thank you. “Abuela must’ve nagged your head off to get you here,” he snorted in amusement, sticking his pencil under the edge of his cast and scratching the best he could. Casts were a beotch, goddamn. “And dear God, can that woman nag.”

“Oh her nagging is the worst but she hardly had a hand in getting me here.”

Emilio turned to his grandfather in surprise. “What do you mean?”

The older version of his father, except maybe Luis was just a little darker, laughed again, his brown eyes glowing in amusement. “Can I not make my own choices?” Emilio just raised a skeptical brow. “It was my choice to come with her. Your tío came because he was worried he’d have to play interference. I told him it was unnecessary; I know how to deal with my own son.”

“You…realize your son hasn’t spoken to you still, right? And no offense and all but why would you suddenly want to come? You don’t like us.”

A look of surprise pulled Luis’ brows up high and a small grimace pulled the corner of his small mouth. The mouth Emilio sadly had gotten stuck with. Both his parents had these beautiful big lips and mouths that made these huge gorgeous smiles and everyone but Emilio and Linda had gotten them.

Fucking rude.

“Why would you think I don’t like you guys?”

Twirling his pencil and leaning back into his pile of pillows that served as his recliner, Emilio replied “Because you never talk to us. Or take our calls.”

“I don’t recall the last time any of you bothered calling.”

“Maybe it was because we got sick of being turned down? Maybe because mama and papa are tired of seeing the disappointment on our faces? We’re not fucking dogs; we won’t come back if you kick us.” Rubbing his chest from the small twinge of pain, Emilio added “Plus, we happen to _really_ like our dad and you don’t so…whose side do you think we’d take?”

“I love you father.”

Pursing his lips in his utter skepticism, Emilio raised the powerful brow of disbelief. Maybe Luis had dementia or something. Memory loss? Delusions? Something, that was for sure. “Uhuh. That why you erased him like he’s shit? He talks a lot about his childhood because he wants us to learn from his stupidity but he never talks about you meaning that it hurts way too much. More than any gang beating ever could. Now I’m not saying he’s perfect or whatever, because he isn’t, I’m sure he brought a lot of what is between you guys upon himself but that doesn’t make it okay. You’re the adult.”

Raising a knee and resting his arm on it, Luis tilted his head in contemplation, his eyes giving Emilio one of the most intense stares he’d ever faced. “I have no idea why you think you’re the stupid one. I really don’t.”

Turning back to his homework, Emilio muttered “Yeah, well, take a look at my grades and you’ll find out. I’m supposed to be doing homework. La tareja, man. You’re messing with my mojo.”

“Your mother is a nurse.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

He could feel one of those ‘maybe you really are stupid’ looks on him. “I imagine she knows quite a bit about chemistry. Or at least would have taken the classes.”

Actually, Emilio had considered that option already and every time he’d want to ask her for help, he’d only make it so far. She always came home looking so tired and her feet so puffy that he couldn’t bring himself to ruin her small amount of relaxing time with his stupid homework. “She’s not up to helping.”

“I think she’d rather help than you fail.”

“Yeah, well, what do you know. You don’t even like her.”

“You seem to keep making these assumptions that I’m a hateful man.”

“Whatever.”

Silence descended upon them as Emilio went back to his work with Luis just…staying there. It made Emilio a little uncomfortable but he wasn’t so rude as to throw the man out. Eventually he lost himself in his work, not even paying attention anymore that Luis was there and watching. “Do you get a lot of trouble for being bisexual?”

Emilio looked at the man in surprise at not only the question but also because it’d been quiet for so long that his voice breaking it spooked him. “Uh…well, no one really knew at school until a couple months ago. Now I’m sort of the ‘residential gay guy’ where everyone knows. Most people don’t care, a lot of other people give me curious looks like they want to ask questions, and then there’s the homophobes, and the homophobe followers.”

“Do they bother you?”

He couldn’t help the dry laugh that slipped from his mouth. “I got beat up twice so far and it’s only been a few months. Who knows how the rest of my year will go. It helps that I’m with Marcus just because it seems my boy has a bad boy rep so everyone’s too afraid to do something with his threats hanging over them.” He wondered if Joseph would’ve stood up for him. They wouldn’t have been a public couple but if people bothered Emilio for being out, would Joseph have given them shit for it?

“When…” Emilio started, only to falter in his hesitance. Luis waited patiently, his face open and making Emilio more comfortable than he expected he’d feel around a man he didn’t actually know. “When…um…did you or papa cut the other out? How’d it feel?” He darted his eyes down, unwilling to let his grandfather see the growing pain and tears. “To be…erased. How’d…you…handle it.”

There was the sound of some shifting and Luis’ leg came into the edge of Emilio’s blurred view, stretching out along the bed. “Well, it was my own fault in the beginning. I found out what he was doing and tried to throw him out. It didn’t matter to me that he was only twelve; it was disgraceful. Disgusting. A tarnish to my family’s name. Mercedes wouldn’t let me and then Raul just stopped coming home altogether after one too many fights.”

As the quiet carried, Emilio looked up to make sure that the man was still with him, his own thoughts of pain on hold for the moment. There was distance written on Luis’ face like he was lost in his memories. “Uhuh,” he prompted after more silence passed.

With a nod that Emilio wasn’t even sure meant anything, Luis murmured “It’d take me years to realize that if I hadn’t pushed him away, he probably wouldn’t even have stuck with it until he was in too deep. Until it was much too late to get out. I didn’t speak to him, maybe saw him once or twice, until I found out that he was in the hospital years later. I remember laughing at Mercedes, asking if it was because the police finally caught him at doing something stupid. Did they shoot him for a robbery? Break an arm for resisting arrest? I laughed and laughed.”

“And laughed.”

“And laughed. I remember the fury in her eyes as she clutched her purse so tight,” a wry smile grew on his guilt ridden face, “I was so sure she was going to hit me with it. She didn’t; she just walked out without a word.”

Reclining back into his pillows and fully interested now, Emilio asked “So when did you learn that he got out?”

Fully lying down with a tiny pained grunt, his grandfather stared up at the ceiling as if it had the past screened on it and he could find all his answers there. “I thought it weird that no one ever said anything. No mention of arrest or anything. Mercedes would never tell me so I cornered the best person to ask.”

“Tío Enrique.”

Luis hummed and nodded. “There are seven years between him and Raul and Raul was always his idol. I knew Raul would come to the house once in a while and I knew it was only for Enrique and Mercedes that he would. Not that Mateo and Carlea didn’t matter but to him, but to him, Enrique was his responsibility. And to Enrique who was only eleven when it happened, Raul was his. He sat in the corner and swore up and down in his tears that he promised he wouldn’t tell. With enough threats he broke but he tried his best.”

Emilio wondered if he’d ever tell his father about the soft tears in his grandfather’s eyes. “And?”

“I went and stared down at the broken, bloody, and bruised body of my unconscious son who was apparently going to make me a grandfather and sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his cold broken hand, and asked him to forgive me. That I knew I didn’t deserve it but I was going to ask anyways.”

“He was unconscious, how was he supposed to answer that.”

They both sat up straight so fast that it must’ve been hilarious to anyone watching. Emilio’s protesting body hardly found it funny but he was sure that if they were in a different situation, his father leaning on the wall would’ve laughed.

Obviously for the moment, he was far from laughing.

Luis shook his head and snorted “Well, you weren’t supposed to. I wasn’t up to hearing rejection. For you to spit in my face and laugh.”

Crossing his arms, his father replied “My jaw was broken, I wouldn’t have been able to spit.” Emilio flicked his glance between them, waiting for the next person to speak but they just kept staring at each other. As the uncomfortable silence continued, Emilio wondered if he should just change the subject to end the stare down or what but finally, his father said “Ask me.”

For Luis sake, Emilio hoped his father wasn’t just being cruel because the light of hope that came on his grandfather’s face was intense as hell. “Ask you?”

“Ask me to forgive you. Ask me to forgive you for throwing me out and treating me like shit and making me feel worthless. Ask me to forgive you for taking away my home, taking away the one place I could go and feel safe when there was nowhere else. Ask me for those and then we can start on the rest.”

Yeah, this definitely wasn’t Emilio’s conversation to be included in. This was a moment between them that should stay exclusively between them but there was no way for Emilio to sneak out unless he pushed his father. His possibly on the verge of tears father.

He’d never seen this man cry and he knew he couldn’t handle it if he did.

“Ask me.”

“I still don’t have that right.”

Clenching his jaw tight and with red pained eyes, his father ground out “No, you fucking don’t. Now get the fuck out of my kid’s room and go sit with your favorite son in la salón.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> _“You’re just barely higher than a pedo in my eyes.”_

Emilio was staring at him with such wide eyes that Raul knew that he was going to-

“Am I in trouble?”

Sighing a tired depressed sigh, Raul walked over to the bed and sat in the warm spot that once held his father. “Why would you be in trouble, mijo.”

Biting his nail, Emilio whispered worriedly “Um, because I was asking questions and-”

Raul was too tired for this. And he had to do _that_ today even though now his wits and energy were so dead. Shutting his eyes as he lay down, Raul murmured “Have I ever faulted you for your unending, sometimes incredibly annoying, curiosity?”

It sure sounded like he just did.

“It sounds like you just did.”

Sigh.

“I’m sorry for asking questions. He was just answering them-”

“That’s not the problem,” he interrupted because it really wasn’t. Raul and his jealousy at seeing how easily Emilio accepted his grandfather was. Which, yes, was stupid but no one ever said that feelings weren’t unreasonable. Then there were just the feels of knowing that if his father had asked him that question after Raul had woken up from that beating…he would’ve forgiven him. He would’ve said that it was okay, that it was his fault for making such stupid life choices, for not listening, for causing problems.

Maybe they wouldn’t be in such a mess now if he’d just asked. Maybe instead of him having a huge pile to hold over his father’s head, he’d only have half that. Maybe if he hadn’t hated Raul so much, he wouldn’t have hated Claudia or the kids.

Why couldn’t he have just asked?

“Do you think Joseph would beat up homophobes for me?”

What?

Sitting up in confusion, Raul wasn’t sure he even wanted to know what the fuck was this horrible jump of subjects was. “Uh…you’ve lost me.”

Emilio blinked at him with such worry that Raul was thrown. It was like he’d been stewing on this question for years. “Do you think if everything wouldn’t have happened and we were at school together, not out publicly or anything, and someone was giving me shit…do you think he would’ve stood up for me?”

“Uh…” Raul trailed as he scratched his head, trying to formulate a good answer for his chronically depressed kid, “well, I don’t think he’d let anyone bully you. Regardless of the reason.”

“But what about specifically for this reason?”

“I…I think he would’ve stood up for you.” Right? Joseph had been comfortable as long as everything was hidden from Ivo. So…ergo…he’d defend Emilio? He definitely had the temper for it. “I think he would’ve, yeah. For sure.” Relief flashed in Emilio’s eyes and a smile grew on his face. Yay for right answers. “How’s the homework going?”

And there went the smile.

“Homework’s bullshit,” Emilio muttered, trying to cross his arms with the cast. “Just like this stupid cast.”

Should he tell Emilio that he was going to see Ivo today? He knew he should, knew that Emilio would be extremely upset if he didn’t tell, but something was holding back Raul’s tongue. It was bad enough that he had to go in the first place. He’d been pushing it off for as long as he could by saying that he had a lead, but Kehaulani totally caught onto his shit. “Okay, sooo…this is me telling you something but I’ll tell you again after.”

“What.”

“This is me telling you something that I know I should tell you. Details come at later notice.”

“Now I’m lost,” Emilio laughed, resting in his pile of pillows.

“Just remember that later instead of getting mad at me. Deal?”

Emilio shrugged because what else was he supposed to do? “Deal I guess. Love you, pop man.”

Kissing his son’s forehead, Raul knocked on it and said “Do your work.”

“Damn you.”

He made a quick stop for the bathroom, changed into a nice pair of black jeans instead of staying in his slacks – but kept his ankle boots on – and changed his buttoned shirt to a plain white tshirt. People went to Ivo dressed as impeccably as possible, wanting to impress the Lord and show that he was respected by them not showing up slovenly.

Raul wasn’t going slovenly but he sure as hell wasn’t going to dress to the nines for the bastard. This was him making a silent protest. Slipping on his leather jacket and grabbing all his necessaries which included his phone, wallet, keys, badge, and gun, Raul walked out of his room to go back to Kehaulani waiting in the car outside. Pausing at Emilio’s door and peeking in, he rapped his knuckles on the wall. Emilio’s head flew up from his phone with a guilty look on his face. Pointing at him with the authoritative pointer, he said “Homework. You fail, you’re in so much trouble, I promise.”

Leaving the scowling boy in his wake and ignoring the two men sitting in the living room, Raul went into the kitchen and grabbed a banana after starting the coffee maker. His partner wouldn’t mind waiting as long as she got something out of it.

“Hey, Raul?”

“Hmm.”

“Uh…nevermind.”

“Better that way,” he muttered though his foul mood was hardly his brother’s fault. Taking a bite of his banana, Raul added “Much better.” He paused and realized that the house was way too fucking quiet. He hadn’t seen his mother anywhere or Alicia who would be free at this time. “Where is everyone?”

“Mama and Alicia went to the mall in Jersey City,” Enrique replied, suddenly at Raul’s shoulder. “You still working?”

The banana paused on its way to his mouth. “Duh. Workday doesn’t stop in the middle. People don’t just magically stop killing each other. Why?”

“Oh, nothing, you just changed is all.” Enrique gave him an uncomfortable once over that made Raul feel as uncomfortable as his brother looked. He just…kept staring.

By the time he finished his banana and put the coffee in two disposable cups and even made Kehaulani’s the way she liked it, Raul was feeling really uncomfortable under that look. Setting down the coffee on the counter with a huff, he asked “What?”

Blushing and seemingly embarrassed, Enrique mumbled “It’s just…I hate when you dress like that.”

Raul took a minute to look down at himself, totally confused. What was wrong with the way he was dressed? This was how he always dressed. How he’d been dressing since he knew how to dress and he could convince his mother to buy the clothes he actually wanted, not what she liked. Looking back up at his brother, he asked “What the hell are you talking about.”

Scratching under his ear before shoving his hands in his pockets like it’d stop his nervous tic, Enrique replied “You…you always dress like this. You even went back to doing your hair the same.”

Yeah, Raul had tried a different hairstyle after he changed his life. Every few years, he’d try something different. But he realized that his original of just slicking it back with gel was always going to be the best. “Enrique, I’ve got a really important meeting to go to, get to your point.”

“I hate how you look!” he burst out, throwing his hands in the air like it was some damn revelation. “I hate looking at you and seeing not my brother but the banger who used to beat the shit out of people or rob them or threaten them and on and on and on, okay?” Crossing his arms and taking a deep breath while nodding in satisfaction, Enrique sighed “I can’t believe I finally said that after all these years.”

Glancing down at himself again, Raul didn’t see what his brother saw. He saw his tired self, a detective who was raising five unruly children who had him wrapped around their fingers. Thankfully, they didn’t know that because they’d so use it to their advantage. “I’ve…always dressed like this. Me not being a banger anymore doesn’t mean I have to…change my clothes…”

Enrique pursed his lips, looking pretty pissed. “White’s the best because you just bleach it and bam, no more blood, Enrique! And if that doesn’t work, they’re the cheapest to buy! They come in packs!”

He was pretty sure his brother fell off his rocker and the coffee was getting cold and his partner was stewing in the car. “Are you okay?”

“I hate looking at you like this. I’ve always hated looking at you like this. There. I said it.” Raul glanced down yet again and Enrique snapped “Stop doing that.”

Sighing and grabbing the coffees once more, Raul walked to the door, ignoring the man on the couch and the brother in the kitchen who was now following him. “Open the door for me, please.”

Enrique covered the door with stupid tall ass frame. “Go change.”

Oh for- “Enrique, seriously, I don’t have time for this. I need to leave.”

“Then change.”

Closing his eyes and taking the hugest breath ever, Raul released it slowly and said “Move.”

“Bet that coffee is getting cold, huh? You should go change while I heat it up for you.”

“After I pour this incredibly hot coffee on you, you’ll disagree. Now move, I’m going to be late.”

The fight was leaving his brother’s face, desperation taking over. “I won’t talk to you if you don’t change. I can do the silent treatment.”

No, no he couldn’t. He’d tried many times before and always failed. With his unimpressed face _and_ voice, Raul replied “I’m sure you can. I’ll live. Move.”

“Raul,” he whined as though he wasn’t a grown ass man in his thirties. “Can’t you at least change the shirt? It’ll help. White is a Ñeta color.”

“Dear Lord,” he groaned because this was just getting ridiculous. Even if he wanted to change just to get out the door, he wouldn’t because now it was the principle of the damn thing. “White is a fucking color. A fucking color in the fucking color spectrum. It’s white. I like white. I like blue. I like red and black and green and I like a lot of fucking colors. Today, I felt like white. A fucking color. Now fucking move before I seriously end up hurting you on very fucking purpose.”

“You should totally move, tío,” Emilio said, walking into the kitchen and opening up the fridge. “He used ‘fucking’ so many times that I think he just might be serious.”

His kid brother looked so conflicted but he moved to the side reluctantly. “We’re on silent treatment terms now.”

“Uhuh,” Raul snorted, managing the door by himself, “you tell yourself that.”

 

 

“I think I have to pee,” Kehaulani whispered as she and Raul followed the guard leading them up the stairs to the meeting room. To get passed the first set, they’d flashed their I.D’s hoping it’d make getting in easier. People weren’t allowed to just show up and ask for a meeting with the Lord; there was something like an appointment system.

But cops got to go in because, well, they were cops.

“It must be the nerves,” Raul replied back because, honestly, his nerves wanted to make him pee too. He hadn’t seen Ivo since Raul had beaten him in the alley across the street. Now he was coming on the man’s turf to ask for info?

Raul had to be insane.

The guard stopped them right before the meeting room and spoke with another man in a language Raul should have grasped years ago. A smile lit Asen’s face once the other guard walked off as he met Raul’s gaze. “Long time no see.”

“Yup,” Raul nodded, not really sure what to say. He’d always liked Asen – who couldn’t – but he wasn’t sure what he was allowed to say to him about why it’d been such a long time no see. It wasn’t that he cared what Ivo wanted but he did care what Lord Kavinsky wanted because he wasn’t stupid. “You haven’t aged a day.”

“Must be because I smile so much,” Asen laughed and for some reason, it made Raul think of someone else though he couldn’t remember who it was or why. “Though my kids are killing me, let me just say. How can I help you, detectives?”

“We’d like to speak with Lord Kavinsky, actually.”

Professionalism kicked in fast on Asen’s face. “And what is it you require of my lord?”

“Just want to ask him some questions. Nothing of the incriminating sort or of any that affect you guys.”

Asen considered this for a moment before nodding. “Very well then.” He knocked on the door before sticking his head in and saying something in Bulgarian. There was some quick back and forth conversation before Asen looked back to them and opened the door wider. “Come in, my Lord will see you.”

“Here we go,” his partner said with a deep breath, letting Raul in first. He found three men in the room. Two he didn’t want to see and one he didn’t really care if he did or didn’t. Ivo was in his usual spot with Yulian on his left and Lubomir on the right with his back to them though he had his head turned, watching them close with careful eyes.

“Detectives,” Ivo greeted with a dangerous voice that didn’t waver from either professional nor polite, but the danger was no less there. “Come have a seat.”

Raul walked forward and stuffed his nerves down where they belonged. “Gentlemen,” he said by way of greeting, all three men standing once Raul reached the table. Despite how much he didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to see these people, and didn’t want to even touch Ivo, he stuck out his hand. “Lord Kavinsky.”

Ivo accepted the hand and shook it but held for a few seconds as he ran his eyes over Raul’s face, like he was trying to memorize it all over again. “Detective Vidal.” Raul didn’t mind the examination because it gave him the same chance to take in Ivo’s blank eyes. Age didn’t seem to affect the man at all but even though his eyes were blank, they spoke volumes.

Lord Kavinsky was very good at hiding his emotions which was why his eyes had always been _deceptively_ blank. However, right now, his eyes were just…empty. Like all his emotions went kapoot.

Good.

He moved on to Yulian who seemed happy to see him but Raul didn’t let himself get caught up in that. Lastly, he shook hands with Lubomir who looked exhausted as hell. Age was catching up with the man. “I heard about a stint in the hospital. I hope you find yourself better?”

Lubomir didn’t look happy at having this known but he replied “I do, thank you. It seems there isn’t a thing that can be kept personal, is there?”

“That’s between you and gang unit, my lord,” Savelio laughed as she took the seat beside Yulian and Raul the one beside Lubomir. “They’re nosy, we all know that.”

With her laughter came a lighter a mood to the room and Raul felt like he might be able to breathe finally. Ivo didn’t look amused but he didn’t look annoyed either so who knew what he was feeling. “What can I help you with, detectives. I was told questions.”

 _I’m doing this for Emilio, I’m doing this for Emilio, I’m doing this for Emilio_. “I’d like a loan of information.”

This seemed to catch Ivo’s interest as one brow lifted ever so thoughtfully. “Oh?”

“I need a very elusive name. I figured-” Savelio cleared her throat and gave him the death glare that both she and Claudia shared. With an annoyed huff and a glare of his own because this really wasn’t the time for technicalities, Raul corrected “ _Claudia_ figured that if anyone had the answer, it’d be you.”

He should have just sent Claudia in his place because damn did Ivo looked interested now, a little light entering his eyes. Leaning back into his chair and crossing an arm at his waist so the other could sit atop it and his hand cupped his chin, Ivo prompted “Go on.”

Deciding to pull away some of the power from the man, Raul settled into his seat comfortably and asked “Where’s my coffee?”

Yulian laughed, his eyes dazzling the way Raul remembered that they did. “I was wondering where your personality went.” Folding his hands on the table, Yulian added “Let’s start with a little small talk. How are you?”

“Alive and tired. You?”

“The same I guess. You seem a little snippy.”

Snippy? “Is that one of your fancy white boy words?”

“Funny,” Yulian snorted, an easy nature on his face. Did these people not age or what? “Bad day?”

Lord, did he need someone to complain to. But he couldn’t bring himself to fall back into old times. This wasn’t old times anymore. “Family is family.”

The evasion and stiffness was noted and Yulian didn’t seem to appreciate nor understand it. And why would he when he’d done nothing wrong? It was his kids’ fault that Raul was shunning him. “Okay, let’s dump the shit out the window. What’s your problem.”

“A lot of things but for the moment, that I have to sit in this room and play nice with two men whom I have no interest in playing nice with. How’s that?”

Lubomir took a sip from his cup of water and laughed “Well, it’s nice not to be on someone’s list for once. So tell me, detective, how is your son? He was always a character that one. Must be why him and mine get on so well.”

Raul literally reared in surprise, turning to look at Lubomir beside him in a funky mix of confusion and shock that made a face look odd. “What now?”

The old man looked surprised at Raul’s puzzlement. “Maximillian, my youngest. As my wife says, our slightly unhappy surprise. He was a shock, let me tell you.”

Who the fuck was Maximillian and how in the hell did Lubomir have a kid Emilio’s age? Ew. “Let’s blame this on the fact that I wasn’t given my complimentary coffee yet. Who are we talking about? You have a son Emilio’s age?”

Just from his expressive brown almost black eyes, Raul could tell that Lubomir was laughing at him. “You weren’t kidding about being tired, detective. Maximillian has been to your house a few times now though I’ve never actually told him that I know you and your family.”

Oh fuck him. Max, he was talking about Max who was finally the light of normal that Raul needed for Emilio. Except the dumbass wasn’t normal, he was from a freaking mob family and had told no one. Emilio just knew how to pick them, didn’t he? Ugh, great, now no one was normal. Marcus was close but not quite there. “Max, you mean Max. I knew he looked fucking familiar. I knew it. Goddammit.” He groaned into his hands, “Emilio can never pick the normal ones. Max was supposed to be my light at the end of the damn crazy tunnel.”

“Now that I think about,” Savelio mused across from him, “he kinda looks like Asen. Just a bit.”

Raul groaned again, rubbing his hands on his face before looking at his partner who seemed to think this whole thing was funny. “He totally acted like he didn’t know who in the world we were talking about too. ‘Lord Kovachev is sick.’ ‘Who.’ ‘Asen’s dad.’ And he just sat there all blank faced and then a smile. ‘I’m normal as they get, Mr. Vidal.’ That bastard.”

“He plays dumb not because he’s smart about it but because he’s a fool,” Lubomir snorted, sounding actually seriously upset and Raul didn’t think it was because he’d just called his son a bastard. “He’s ‘Americanized.’ When he said he was going to work on a group project at a classmate’s house and he said Emilio’s name, I thanked the Almighty that he’d have that influence in his life.”

Damn. That was one hell of a compliment. “That’s…wow… Emilio’s Emilio and he’s my son and I love him to death but he’s weird.” Savelio laughed along with Yulian. He even earned a little quirk of the lips from the Lord himself. “I dunno if you really know what you thanked God for.”

“A little Emilio-ness will do Maximillian good, trust me. I don’t know how to handle or deal with that boy anymore. I’ve raised seven and yet I can’t raise this one.” An incredibly irritated look made Lubomir’s tired features ugly. “He does not even speak his own _language_. What is this? I speak, it goes over his head. He has no desire to even learn it. What stupidity is that?”

Ivo snorted then, his eyes flicking over to Yulian. “Sounds familiar.”

“Fun-ny,” Yulian replied, not even giving Ivo the time of day. Raul wondered what their relationship was like now because it didn’t look so good from where he sat. “Do you see that laugh on my face?”

Now who was snippy?


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> One more in Raul's pov and you get Emilio back, promise. I figure you guys dont mind bc you get to see Ivo
> 
> Enjoy!

“So I was hoping for a name,” Raul tried again, reverting back to where all the focus needed be. He’d so give Max hell later. But that was later. “If anyone has it, it’d be you.”

Ivo took a slow slip of his coffee, still not even offering some, and set it back down on the table. He may not be distinctly hating on Raul but just that snub of not providing coffee was enough. “As I’m sure you have quite the low opinion of me, detective-”

“The lowest,” he couldn’t help but interrupt with even though he knew it was a bad idea. He needed Ivo on his side not to go and piss him off. “You’re just barely higher than a pedo in my eyes.”

Well, if he was looking for a reaction, he’d finally earned himself one as anger and hate reared into his eyes, flashing sharper than Raul had ever seen. It went down as soon as it came though, not lasting more than a moment. How he kept that fury down, Raul had no idea. With a deep breath, Ivo replied “I’m a very busy man, detective, and as it seems you have nothing of use to say-”

“Wait,” Savelio cut in before flashing Raul an annoyed glance. “We really do need the help. We’d appreciate anything you can give us. Look, you two have your issues but I know from knowing you for years that when it comes to a child’s wellbeing, you’ve got a heart in there somewhere.”

Unless it came to Joseph, then yeah, Raul could agree.

Dear God, help that boy wherever he was.

Running his finger along the handle of the mug, Ivo’s face went back to utter blankness before he lifted the cup and took another sip. “What child.”

“Will you help?”

“I’m not a rat, detective, but should I deem that the actions of this person cross a certain line, I may decide to help. It all depends.”

Calming his own temper because Raul knew that he’d get nowhere with it, he set his hands on the beautiful marble top and said “This person didn’t directly harm a child, or at least that we know of, but is the reason that the ones who did get to walk free.” Well, they were free up until whatever that shit show with Carlos was happened a couple days ago.

Ivo set himself comfortably in his chair, watching Raul with such precision that Raul felt like he could see into his soul. “What. Child.”

He’d _really_ been hoping that he’d find a way to get through this without detailing how personal it was. That was stupid on Raul’s part. Trying not to reopen the image of seeing his beautiful boy broken in a hospital bed, Raul answered “Emilio.”

The name drop seemed to capture the entire room’s attention. Yulian’s eyes were full of the most sincere concern, “What happened to Emilio? Is he okay?”

“Uh, well, yes and no. Technically, he’s okay now but he’s still healing.”

“From?”

Not meeting anyone’s eyes despite knowing that it was a sign of weakness, Raul drew patterns in the table with his finger. It was so hard putting into words what had happened, what he’d seen, and was seeing as Emilio slowly healed. Very slowly. “A beating. He…was found in a dumpster. Doctor said if he’d been left even just ten minutes he…” he paused as he trampled on the bile of pain that wanted to rise in his throat as he remembered the words, “he wouldn’t have made it.”

“But he’s okay,” Savelio said quickly in such a strong passionate voice, the words meant to remind Raul more than anything else. “And he looked great when I saw him yesterday. And he’s annoying as ever so I think his mindset is just fine.”

Raul laughed softly as he nodded down at the table. Yeah, yeah, he was.  He took a steadying breath before lifting his gaze to meet Ivo’s once more. “I want the guys who did it. I actually got the guys who did; even had surveillance.”

“You’re not going to get better than that,” Lubomir said.

“Well, see that’s what we thought until I found out that they let them out to use as bait for the higher up they run for.”

After a sip of coffee, Ivo asked “So you want the higher up?”

“Yes.”

The Bulgarian lord nodded in thought, his eyes not leaving Raul’s even for a second. The thoughtful silence continued for minutes passed until finally Ivo asked “Why’d they beat him?”

“Irrelevant.”

“Then I have nothing for you.”

Asshole. Fucking asshole. “I’d prefer not reliving one of the scariest moments of my life.”

“I don’t particularly care what you prefer. You want a loan of information, detective, and those are extremely expensive.” He paused for a sip of coffee and now Raul really wanted more coffee. It was literally like he was mocking him with it. “I calculate how much each one costs and determine what you earn with your payment. Basic information and satisfying my curiosity doesn’t even cover the down payment.”

Raul was tempted to cross his arms but it was not only a defensive action but an aggressive one and those would do him no good here. “I hope you recall that I’m very broke.”

“And I have all the money in the world,” Ivo actually laughed but it was a foreign laugh like his mind and body didn’t remember what the action was. “I give out loans of money, detective, I don’t ask for them.”

Savelio looked as concerned as Raul was starting to feel. “Well, what does a loan of info generally cost? Just ballpark it.”

“Information,” Yulian answered in Ivo’s place, his hands still interlaced on the table in front of him. “Any information that we deem useful or that would serve a purpose.”

That didn’t sound good to him. “As Lord Kavinsky said, I’m not a rat.”

“No, you’re a pig,” Ivo snorted, sliding his now empty cup over to Yulian who got up to refill it for him. He also grabbed two out of the cupboard and Raul’s heart jumped in coffee happiness. “A pig who wants information. One for one, detective. Whether you pay it now or later, you’ll be in my debt. Think carefully before you decide what you want to do.”

What he wanted was Emilio to feel safe again. What he wanted was Juan behind bars. Which meant that whether he liked it or not, he had to sit in Ivo’s pocket for a while. “What sort of one for one are we talking.”

Triumph glittered in Ivo’s eyes as Yulian set down the coffees for everyone. Having a sip of fresh coffee, Ivo said “Who knows, detective? I might need you to lose a little paperwork or invalidate a witness or let me know if I’ve got police sniffing on things they shouldn’t. Could be anything.”

Lubomir suddenly, but slowly, stood with a stretch and a yawn. “The hatred in this room is suffocating me. I need air. Reach your agreement without bloodshed, gentlemen.”

They all watched him walk out, silently closing the door behind himself. Raul couldn’t stop his tongue, “Does he know? He sure acts like he knows something.”

“Anyone can feel the hostility in this room,” Savelio snorted after tasting her coffee and making a face. Getting to her feet and walking over to the little kitchenette, she fixed her coffee as she added “It’s bristling in fury with your egos.”

Yulian knocked on the table to get Raul’s attention. “What’s your problem with me? With him, I totally get but why me?”

Ivo snorted while Raul finally, _finally_ , got to cross his arms. Fuck decorum. “I came for my infor-”

“Consider this part of the loan.”

Clenching his jaw while trying not to seethe through his teeth, Raul replied “Your kids.”

“My kids?” Yulian repeated in confusion, cocking his head to the side. “What do they have to do with anything?”

God, was it really worth bringing all this up so many years later? Maybe but…goddammit. “They’re shunning Emilio. They just erased him like he’s shit beneath their feet. He made the effort to reach out when he shouldn’t have been the one but he did anyways and they had the fucking _nerve_ -”

“To put Albena on the phone.”

“Well, yeah,” Raul said, surprised that Yulian knew what the hell was up.

With a nod, Yulian sighed and slouched back into his seat. “I already tried talking to them about it. Trust me, I don’t like it any more than you. I’m sorry that Emilio had to feel bad-”

“Don’t insult me or him by apologizing,” Raul couldn’t help but snap. This was bullshit and he wasn’t going to bother with all this years later. Emilio didn’t care anymore; he had new friends who, Raul hoped, wouldn’t just dump him as easily as Andrey and Anka had. “He didn’t just feel _bad_ , he fucking crashed. It wasn’t enough that this piece of bullshit,” he gestured harshly in Ivo’s direction, “ruined everything-”

“I ruined everything?” Ivo cut in with a vicious hiss, his hands clenched tight around his coffee mug. Seemed there was a limit to how much he could hold in. “I did? Your _bisexual,_ ” never had a word sounded so mocking before, “son made mine a fucking fag and ruined my family.”

Oh, oh, oh, this fucker wasn’t serious right now, was he? “You want to do this? We can do this. We can so fucking do this. I’ve had it up to here,” he held up his hand to his forehead, “today and I can really use someone to take it out on.”

“Raul,” Savelio cut in with warning.

“No, let him speak!” Ivo snapped, slamming his hands down on the table with fury flashing through his handsome face. Far more tired now but no less the same. “Go ahead, detective! Take it out on me! The floor’s yours!”

Hey, if that was an invitation, then he was fucking using it. “For starters, for you to assume that Emilio made Joseph gay is ridiculous.” He didn’t miss the way Ivo’s eye twitched at the word ‘gay.’ “Your son is gay, Ivo, he’s always been gay. It’s not some fucking phase, it’s how he feels. The only one who can ever be blamed for ruining everything is you and your ignorance. The best thing Vesela probably did in her entire life was leaving.”

Yulian gave Raul a jab with his foot under the table like he was trying to hint hint ‘shut the fuck up’ but no way in fucking hell did he plan on stopping. This was like thee moment. He was sure as fuck using it. If he was worried about anything, it was having that mug that was clasped so tightly in Ivo’s hand thrown at him.

Good thing Raul had good reflexes, just in case.

“You think so?” Ivo laughed, a sick light in his eyes saying that he couldn’t wait to prove Raul wrong. “You really think that? All her leaving did was commit her and her son to a life of drugs.” Raul felt his face scrunch in confusion. Drugs? “Do you have an idea what it’s like to sit here thousands of miles away knowing that literally at any second I can get a phone call telling me my wife or son overdosed? Or listening to her speak? She’s insane out her mind and that’s better to you?”

“Wait, what?”

Ivo got to his feet, the chair screeching against the hardwood with his abruptness, before he went and slammed the mug into the little sink, the shatter echoing in the silence of the room only to be overridden by the sound of him slamming the door as he walked out. They all sat and stared at the shut door before looking back at one another. Yulian was clutching the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tight. “You always have to push, don’t you? Always.”

“What the fuck is he talking about.”

Rubbing his face harshly, Yulian groaned only to sigh a second later. “Cocaine, Raul, they snort cocaine.”

Savelio found her voice before Raul ever could. “You’re joking.”

Practically looking like he was juicing his eyes from how vigorously he was rubbing them, Yulian set his hands back on the table and said softly “I wish. This stays in this room because no one knows but…I went to see them back in August. I didn’t get to see Vesela though, Joseph wouldn’t let me.”

“Wouldn’t let you?” Why wouldn’t Joseph let anyone see Vesela? “Why?”

“He’s…not okay,” Yulian settled on with a sadness Raul had rarely seen on his face. “He needs a lot of help but he won’t let anyone help and he’s just getting worse. I barely even recognized him when he got into my car.”

“Then drag his ass back from wherever the fuck they are,” Raul couldn’t help but snap, his frustration mixing with his fear, making for an ugly combination. “Drag him back and give him the goddamn help he needs.”

“It’s not that simple.”

The man before him literally looked defeated and Raul just couldn’t believe it. If it was him, he’d drag Joseph back by his goddamn hair until he was better. If he wasn’t healthy enough to make proper decisions then executive ones got to take over. “Yulian-”

“Raul, if it was as simple as bringing him back, I’d have done it already. But it isn’t. He’s a god fucking mess but he’s an angry hateful god fucking mess that’s taller than the both of us and now has a history of violence. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

Shutting his eyes and tilting his head up to the ceiling, Raul took in a frustrated breath. He knew that but…Jesus fucking Christ. “How bad are we talking.”

“Bad, very bad. Suicidal bad. Junkie bad. Been arrested bad. Every bad you can think of, put it together.”

 

* * *

 

“You’re a hard sulker to find,” Kehaulani said as she rounded a gorgeous Audi, coming to a stop at the open door where Ivo sat half in half out. She’d spent years trying hard not to like this man but she’d failed a long time ago. With everything that had happened a couple years ago, she’d found the hate she needed but right now, they needed him.

This simple fact meant that someone had to kiss ass and Raul had made it apparent that he had no intentions to anytime soon. That left her the dirty job and she knew that listening to the mess Joseph had become would do her no good, so she sent herself on the mission of finding the wayward Lord.

It hadn’t been easy; if she wanted to walk around inside, a guard had to accompany her and there were places she wasn’t allowed to look in. Eventually, both she and Deyan had given up and she told him she’d check the parking garage which was the only place besides the actual casino she was allowed to search alone.

She’d found Ivo in his car which she really should’ve checked first.

Ivo looked up at her, his eyes not blank but empty. Entirely different emotions those. “Sulker isn’t a word.”

“No less charming, are you?” she snorted, rolling her eyes. Pulling out the pack of cigarettes she always kept in her pocket, she slipped one half out and offered it up. “Smoke?”

His eyes flicked from her to her offering before he reached up and slipped it out, staring at it between his fingers like it was some foreign object. “I don’t remember you being a smoker.”

“Nah, kicked the habit when I got out of the academy. Took a toll on my cardio. But I like to be prepared for hard days. Raul won’t carry them but he takes one once in a while when his fingers get that stressful itch.”

He nodded and sat there twirling his cigarette before sitting it in his mouth and laughing. Plucking it from between his lips, he resumed his twirling as he said “I’ve never smoked in my life. Not even stress will make me start. I laugh at people who smoke because lung cancer is on their doorstep.”

“Rude,” Kehaulani laughed, coming around the door to crouch in front of him in his damn low car. “So…we’d really like a name. I know that you don’t care-”

“Why would you assume I don’t care?” Ivo asked in confusion, almost hurtful confusion as though he just didn’t understand why they thought Emilio didn’t matter to him. She was stuck in a confusingly hard place because she had no idea if this care was some elaborate lie or truth. “I care. If Emilio had died, I would have strung up whoever did it by their balls from a fucking lamppost and let them hang there to die after doing to them twice over what they did to him.”

Oh well, that was good. High chance of them getting a name now. Also, if anyone ever died from hanging that way, she knew where to come looking. “We appreciate the sentiment. But he’s doing really good. Bruises are practically faded, he doesn’t run out of breath as fast, he’s annoying as hell,” Ivo gave a little laugh, “and he’s okay.”

Setting his chin in his hand while still spinning the cigarette in the other, Ivo didn’t just sigh, he exhaled his whole lung capacity as he stared down at the floor. “I hate my life.”

Wow, was that guilt? Holy crap, she didn’t even know he had it in him. “Then find a way to make it better. Fix it.”

A tiny corner of Ivo’s mouth upturned. “If only it were that simple.”

“I know a great place to start.”

Biting on his pinkie nail, Ivo murmured “I do too. I need to grovel at my kid’s feet.”

Actually, she was just going to use his guilt to their advantage and get the name, hopefully without the debt, but this was good too. Fixing lives was good. “No, you need to accept him. Then grovel.”

“It’s not that easy, detective.”

She’d been expecting his resumed anger but since she received none in return to her words, Kehaulani pushed on. “For some, no, it isn’t. For damn sake, you grew up in Soviet Bulgaria; I doubt they were very gay friendly. And after meeting Damyan’s lot, I doubt your house was either. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be better than that. Your son is a beautiful smart young man and you want to hold being gay against him?”

Ivo said nothing, never picking up his head from looking at the asphalt but the cigarette stopped spinning. She took that as him listening and, hopefully, considering her words.

Softly setting her hand on his knee – mostly for her own balance and aching legs – Kehaulani hoped no one was going to come out and accuse her of trying to harm him or something. Big honchos weren’t supposed to be touched. “Ivo, who cares if he loves boys? I bet a lot of the reasons you love Vesela for are the same reasons he loved Emilio for. Why does it make a difference that Emilio’s a boy? Love is a beautiful pure thing that your son found in someone he adored and trusted. What more could you want?”

His jaw tensed just a bit and Kehaulani had a feeling that she was reaching her pushing limit. She squeezed his knee just a bit to make a point and, even though she had no idea if it was true or not anymore, added “I know you love your son. Your amazing brilliant boy who loves his father very much. Find that love you let your tainted past drag down and pull it back up and love that damn boy the way he should be.”

All she got was silence but she didn’t expect much else. Giving his knee one last squeeze before standing, she said “I’ll meet you upstairs.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy ^.^

Raul didn’t bother turning his head when the door opened and closed. He knew whose footsteps those were. He made sure to keep his hands set on the table in front of himself, his face as blank as could be, and his demeanor as calm as possible. Whether he like it or not, he needed Ivo and his webbing of information. “My lord,” Raul greeted.

The greeting made Ivo pause as he took his seat. It was only for a short moment but it was long enough for Raul to know that Ivo was surprised by the sudden courtesy. “Detective,” Ivo replied after a deep sigh as though, like Raul, he was resigning himself to politeness. “You want a name. What information do you have?”

Kehaulani, who had come in a few minutes before Ivo, pushed forward a folder. “Juan Vargas,” she supplied as Ivo opened the folder and glanced down at a picture. He nodded as she continued “Small time gangster. Runs a chop shop, commits some grand theft auto, and does select sales of ecstasy and weed.”

“I know him,” Ivo said as he flipped through the papers. “And Carlos here,” he added, tapping on the picture of Carlos. “Rather, I know of them. Juan likes to act like a big hotshot that he isn’t. He thinks himself something big and important. Poor thing is delusional.”

Raul made sure not to laugh. He wasn’t going to give Ivo that pleasure. “And Carlos is frozen in the coroner’s office with Mr. Delusional there nowhere to be found.”

“Your theory?”

“Whoever their big boss is had Carlos taken out and Juan is probably hiding after he found his buddy dead, afraid that he’ll be next.”

Ivo nodded in agreement. “Sounds about right.” He looked up from the papers, “So you want their boss. I don’t see how that’s serving justice in anyway in connection to what happened to Emilio.”

Pushing down his growing annoyance and frustrations, Raul tried not to clench his fists as he replied “Gang unit let those bastards go for almost killing my child because of their boss. I want him.”

“Sounds like your problem is with gang unit then,” Ivo snorted as he shut the folder and slid it back to Kehaulani. “Take it up with them. I have nothing for you.”

It was like the world just came crashing down atop his head and his ears only heard deafening silence.  He’d worked every goddamn angle he had, nothing leading to anything, and now the one person who had to know something didn’t even want to help? Clearing his throat to make sure his desperation didn’t seep through, Raul said “Please.”

“You can get on your knees and beg, detective, and nothing is going to change.”

He bit his tongue before he said something that he knew he shouldn’t. Yulian didn’t look any happier than Raul and Kehaulani were but he also kept his mouth from saying things he shouldn’t. They sat in silence, Ivo sipping on a fresh cup of coffee in a new mug without a care in the world, when a knock at the door called their attention. Asen stuck his head in a moment later and said words that meant nothing to Raul to which Ivo nodded and said a few words back before turning his attention back to them. “If you’ll excuse me a moment.”

Waiting until it was just him, his partner, and Yulian, Raul looked the asshole straight in the eye and said “You’re gonna tell me what I want, right?”

Yulian didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked quite annoyed. “You know I can’t. He says no, then it means no. Whatever I think should be done is irrelevant.”

“You’re his second in command; you can’t be that irrelevant.”

“I can’t go behind his back, Raul, and you know that. Don’t try and stick me in bad positions.”

Groaning behind his hands, he rubbed his face and let out a mighty huff of all huffs. He hadn’t expected Ivo to refuse him. At all. He genuinely thought that he’d help. Honestly, he should’ve known better because no one was more petty or bitter than a Kavinsky. “Fine,” he said, his voice borderline ‘I’m going to fuck someone up.’ Very very borderline. “Then there’s no point in sitting here.”

The man across from him watched as Raul got to his feet and pushed his chair in with a disdainful eye. “You know it’s disrespectful to leave without saying goodbye.”

“Ask me if I care,” Raul snorted as he waited for Kehaulani to get up and grab the folder. If they weren’t getting what they needed, then Raul was done with all the niceties. They made him sick anyways. “Your great Lord Kavinsky can kiss my ass for all I give a fuck.”

“Raul,” Yulian warned.

“Thanks for nothing.”

 

* * *

 

“So…I just noticed this…” Emilio trailed, flipping around the assignment sheet so Max didn’t have to read upside down. Jabbing his finger at a specific paragraph, he said “We’re fucked. Unless you’re artistic?”

Max slid the paper over with a finger, squinting at the offending paragraph. “That’s…that’s bullshit. What the hell? Why do we have to _design_ a sample of buildings?”

“Design like draw that shit?” Joe asked, not at all curiously, but more like courteously because as a group member, he technically should care. “Dudebro, I can’t draw for shit. What the fuck.”

Emilio face planted – but gently because he loved his face – the library table and groaned. “We’re fucked. So fucked.” Raising his head and pointing at himself with only one arm because pointing at oneself with a full arm cast was hard as hell, he whined “I can’t draw. I’m not artistically inclined at all.”

Nodding down at the paper, Max echoed “I can’t draw either. Guys, we’re fucked.” He looked between Emilio and Joe, “Either of you got artists in your family? No one has to know who drew them. We can just say we did them.”

“Ain’t got no fam,” Joe yawned wide before rolling his shoulders and stretching. They’d been working for a couple hours now and with this new development, they were so done. “I say we just white out that line and act like it was never there.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’ll work,” Emilio murmured as he pulled out his phone upon it vibrating. He smiled as he read a text from Marcus who was too cheesy for his own good. “Plus, I try not be a cheater unless it comes to chem.”

“Why? You suck? Besides your boy’s dick, of course.”

“Funny,” Emilio snorted with an eyeroll because it wasn’t at all funny, thank you. “Really funny. Anyways, chemistry isn’t exactly…my forte.” Reading another text from Marcus, Emilio said “I don’t know about you guys but I’m calling for a break. Marcus and the guys are gonna meet us here.”

Here was the library because Emilio was feeling like he was trapped in a fucking cage and he needed to just fucking breathe. The library wasn’t too far from home and neither Joe nor Max didn’t have a problem with it so it won out. Max had offered his house but Emilio wasn’t sure he was comfortable enough to go to people’s homes. He technically didn’t know Max at all. Hell, Emilio was barely going to his boyfriend’s apartment this weekend.

Obviously, he’d been to the projects before but this time, he actually got to go _inside_ Marcus’ apartment. For dinner too. Emilio was nervous as hell about meeting Marcus’ mother but he wasn’t missing such a grand opportunity. No way.

“Cool but I gotta go, shortbabe,” Joe said with a mouth cracking yawn, getting to his feet and packing up his stuff. “Shift at the gas station today. Tell ‘em all I said hey and tell Marcus that your dick tastes great.”

“Oh for the love of God,” Max muttered under his breath, continuing on with his work being that he was a freakish workaholic. “You just don’t give up, do you?”

“It’s against Scaletta policy.”

“Just go,” Emilio snorted, on the brink of laughter. If Marcus knew that he thought this all to be hilarious, he’d be so pissed. He was a jealous sensitive soul. “See you later.” With a wave, Joe was off, leaving them in peaceful quiet besides for the scratch of Max’s pencil. “We’re on break.”

“Go on break, I don’t mind.”

“No, I mean, you’re on break too. Put the damn pencil down.”

Max smiled but kept on working. “I really don’t mind. I like to finish then chill. Plus, we both know that once your guys come around, there will definitely be no more working.”

Very true. “My guys?”

“Well, they’re your friends, not mine. I know them from being in the same sort of circles but we were never actually friends.”

“Do you even have friends?” Emilio slammed a hand on his mouth once the words came out. It sounded bad the way he just said it. Really…bad. Mean. “I mean-”

“No.”

Okay, he hadn’t been expecting that answer at all. “Uh…”

The boy across from him looked up and relaxed back into his chair with a shrug. The words didn’t seem to have any sort of effect on him. He didn’t even look bothered. “I don’t. Nothing real anyways. Everyone is just superficial and bullshit and liars. I put on a smile and act like I fit in.”

“Wouldn’t that just make you superficial and full of bullshit and a liar too?”

“Yeah, actually, completely.” Max paused for a moment like he was trying to decide what or how much to say before he leaned in on the table. Emilio was so ensnared by his intense gaze that he couldn’t look away. “If they’re already feeding me falsities, why give them anything real?”

“You…” Emilio began slowly, “realize that…this just high school, right? You’re making it sound like you’re making lifelong connections or whatever. Life and death. It’s just how high school is.”

“Is it though?”

Picking up his pencil to spin it between his fingers, Emilio pointed out “No one tells you to hang out with those particular type of people. That’s all in your hands. You’d rather be fed these lies you speak of than make real friends? That’s your problem. No one tells you to worry so much about social status. In high school. Marcus is the same; he takes it way too seriously.”

“I don’t mean this in any offensive way but have you ever been the ‘popular kid?’ Or that ‘star athlete/student?’ Or just been more than the run of the mill ‘No one remembers they even have the same class as you person’ person?”

“I’ve always been kind of in the middle, I guess. I was never popular but I had a good share of friends. I was never alone for company. People sort of knew me. Why?”

“Being up there…” Max stopped and gathered his thoughts, picking at his nails with his eyes to the roof as he did. “When you’re popular,” he tried again, “people can’t touch you. And you’ll always have someone to back you up. You never feel alone, even if you are, and it’s an ego boost.”

Maybe because Emilio had never been popular, he just wasn’t getting the whole picture here. “So those superficial things are worth being superficial…? Why not have real friends who actually like you, respect you, and understand you? Someone you could talk about anything with. To me, that’s worth more than any status ever could. Your reasons are ridiculous.”

With a shrug and sliding back into his chair like the seriousness of the conversation was over, Max replied “No one said they were good reasons. I’ve never had good friends so looking for those never mattered to me. I’m popular, everyone likes me, no one bugs me, and it’s all good.”

Emilio shook his head, trying to imagine having such a…ridiculous was the only word he could think of, outlook. “Sucks for you.”

Laughing, Max nodded while tapping his pencil on the edge of the table. “Yeah, actually, probably does. Honestly though…I don’t think ‘real’ me would make a lot friends.”

“It’s not like fake you has any anyways so what are you losing out on in trying?”

“Well, I’m trying with you. Seems to be working out okay.”

He was flattered with the thought but Max was trying nothing at all. Emilio knew nothing about him besides for the bare minimum. Hell, he felt like he knew and was more comfortable with Joe and the Italian never talked family life. But he was _real_. “I think you need to try a little harder. You’re still very fake with me.”

Max seemed surprised, his narrow eyes probably opening more than they ever have. “Really? I kind of…thought I was doing better than that. Uh…sorry?”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Emilio laughed, waving at Marcus when he caught sight of him walking through the door with the other guys in tow. “I’m just saying if your goal is to try, try harder. Helloooo,” he said, leaning up for the kiss Marcus was offering. “How was work?”

His boyfriend dropped himself into the seat beside Emilio, bristling with excitement. “Eddie says I get to work on cars next week. Actual cars, Emilio.”

“We moving up in the world!” Jax shouted, raised to the sky. It earned him a lot of stares and ‘shhhh!’ but he paid them no mind. “Gettin’ that paypaaaa.”

“I’m getting that paper,” Marcus snorted as he dragged over all the papers and began reading over what they’d accomplished so far. “With my hands, man. I don’t see your bitch ass being the one cleaning up the garage’s floor or organizing billions of tools or-”

“Okay, okay, okaaaay. Point taken. You’re only gonna spend your money on your bae. Okay, fine. Leave a nigga out to dry.”

“Maybe that nigger needs to get off his lazy ass and find a job.”

“Probably, yeah,” Jax laughed as he dropped into the seat vacated by Joe. “But he’s too lazy to manage that and also, ain’t no one takin’ him. I’ve applied to a couple places around the projects, man, but no one wanting me.”

“Your resume is probably written like shit,” Sean snorted, somehow, around his lollipop. “Yo, you fuckers hungry? I’m starving.” He nodded at Max, “Rich boy, buy us something.”

Stretching as he yawned, Max said “Now that’s not how you ask someone.”

“I’m bitter and not good at talking with rich boys.”

“Now you sound like Joe.”

Sean shrugged, “He ain’t wrong.”

Rolling his eyes as he started to put his half of the stuff away, Max replied “I’ll buy but only because everyone else is probably hungry too. Also, Emilio is injured.”

“Yes! Pity vote!” Emilio exclaimed with a laugh, earning his own glares of threatening silence. “Plus, I think the library is about ready to throw us out.”

Packing up the rest of their things, they headed out, walking in the direction of the street that was filled with different eating choices. They were talking and laughing and just walking which was probably why Emilio wasn’t paying attention. Had to be because he made a certain point of _never_ walking this way. If he wanted to eat at one of the places, he usually went a little farther to another location. Only the little café and one of the bakeries didn’t have another location and honestly, he never felt like he was missing much. He didn’t drink coffee and he could get sweets anywhere.

If he’d been paying attention, he would’ve noticed which street they were on.

“Dayyum,” Richi said between impressed and in awe, “that place looks classy as fuck, no? We are definitely not on our side of town anymore.”

“Which?” Marcus asked, looking to where Richi was pointing. Emilio froze and wished he was up to running speed again because he would’ve bolted in the opposite direction, not caring what the guys thought of it. “Casinos are always fancy.”

“Yeah but we ain’t got one like _that_.”

“Uhm…” Emilio started, his heart beating way too fast for words to function properly. “We…”

Max looked at him curiously but it was like there was something underneath that curiosity that Emilio couldn’t figure out. “What’s that?”

“You think we can sneak in and have a look?” Jax asked, standing on his tiptoes as if that’d help him look across the street better. “It must be really nice. And hey, I’m sure Max can afford whatever delish food they serve, right?”

“We should go somewhere else,” Emilio said quickly, worried that Jax would seriously convince them all to go in. “Plus, we’re too young to go in-”

“Only for gambling,” Richi replied around his rosary. “Casinos let minors in as long as they’re with an adult and going for the food. Marcus looks eighteen. I’d love to give their food a taste.”

No, no, no, no, no. Emilio needed to get out of here now. Like right right now. Before he saw someone he knew or someone saw him. Jesus lord, that’d be bad. “Nah,” he said, the bell of the café behind them chiming as someone came out. They moved a bit so they weren’t a crowd in front of the door. “We should go-”

“Yo, rich dude,” Sean snorted at the man who’d come out and was now just standing, “it’s rude to just stand over people’s conversations. Goodbye, yeah?”

Emilio turned to have a look at who this rich dude was.

And he’d never hated his friends more for dragging him this way.

Mr. Kavinsky took a sip of his coffee as he nodded. “Very rude,” he agreed, his voice as heavy and as accented and as _rich_ as Emilio remembered it being. It was beautiful and terrifying, leaving him utterly conflicted. It brought back both good and utterly terrifying memories and he didn’t know what to do.

So he froze. Because his body was stooopid.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> I never realized how fun it is to write a truly at his shit's end Raul
> 
> Enjoy

He took that freezing minute to take in the man he hadn’t seen in years. Joseph’s father was thinner, less muscle and mass than he used to be. There was also a heavy exhaustion set to his face that hadn’t been there before. He hadn’t lost his hair nor was he going grey but his eyes looked dead as fuck.

Emilio took that as a positive thing.

“And yet, you’re still standing,” Sean said in annoyance, his body taunt and offended from the representation of everything he didn’t have. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said that he was a bitter bastard. Sean was easy-going but when it came to having money rubbed flat out in his face…he turned ugly.

“It _is_ a pubic sidewalk.” No less of a smart aleck, it seemed. Or annoyingly frustrating. Mr. Kavinsky’s eyes flicked over all of them, coming to a rest over Emilio’s shoulder. “Maximillian. Been a very long time. You take after your father a lot.”

That was enough to get Emilio to move as his face twisted up into confusion and he turned to look at Max who, honestly, was looking pretty confused himself. And _Maximillian_? Damn, that was a mouthful. He hadn’t seen that one coming. “I’m…sorry…I don’t think we’ve met?”

The door chimed again and Emilio didn’t know how to be surprised anymore. He was in Bulgarian territory; he’d fucked up big time. “You could’ve waited one minute until-” Mr. Yulian paused in shock as he came to a halt beside his boss and brother-in-law. “Emilio?”

“Yeah…hi,” he replied, his face burning like hell, giving a little wave. “I, uh, wasn’t paying attention and…came this way.”

Mr. Kavinsky’s brow raised but he said nothing although Mr. Yulian did instead. “Why…wouldn’t you come this way?”

“Yeah, why?” Jax asked, oblivious to all tension crackling in the air. “Who these fuckers? You know rich people and you ain’t tellin’? You bastard.”

“I prefer to avoid situations like these,” Emilio answered, ignoring Jax while trying to feign nonchalance. He wasn’t doing so well, he knew. Mr. Kavinsky could probably smell the fear off of him. The man was like a bloodhound when it came to such things. “Avoid…you people specifically. It gives me peace of mind and…heart.”

“You look twice as bad as I thought you would,” Mr. Yulian observed, looking…guilty for whatever reason. “Raul’s description was bullshit compared to this. Jesus fuck.”

Raul’s description? “You’ve seen my dad recently?”

“Today actually. Like an hour ago.”

This was particularly disconcerting…and something he should have known about.

_“This is me telling you something that I know I should tell you. Details come at later notice.”_

Aw, that fucker.

“Why?”

“I see your nosiness hasn’t changed,” Mr. Kavinsky snorted around the rim of his to-go cup. “Did you stop growing or something? What the fuck, you’re like Vesela’s height.”

Clearing his throat and trying to keep his fear and anger at a respectable level, Emilio said “Mr. Yulian, if you could tell your associate there that I have absolutely _no_ intentions of speaking to him, that’d be great.” Mr. Yulian smiled like this was all amusing as he leaned heavier on his cane. “And if you could possibly remind him that he’s the one who was standing over _our_ heads listening to a conversation that wasn’t his, that’d be great too. Thanks.”

“Attitude much?” He clenched his teeth to keep himself from snapping at a very powerful man. “Clench your teeth any harder and they’ll probably break.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Emilio snapped to everyone’s surprise. Except the one who mattered. He just looked amused as amused could be, sipping away at what was probably his fiftieth coffee of the day. Emilio just wanted to slap it out of his hand. “Don’t talk to me! I don’t want to talk to you! I don’t even like looking at you!”

“Emilio,” Mr. Yulian started, looking like he wanted to soothe the situation. But Emilio wasn’t in the mood for soothing right now. Or maybe he just didn’t want them making a scene on the street. Or in front of their place of business.

“You think this is funny? It’s funny that literally I’m terrified right now of you? Because I am. I avoid a whole part of town, I panic when I see a nice car, and every April, I’m too scared to leave my fucking house because of you. Do you find that funny?”

Mr. Yulian definitely didn’t because he was looking pissed as hell like he’d like to give Mr. Kavinsky a beating all over again. The man he was yelling at, however, was as blank faced as ever. He was taking in the words, Emilio could tell, but he wasn’t allowing for a reaction.

“Because I sure don’t,” he continued, his heart shuddering so violently that Emilio was sure he’d have a heart attack today. “I am literally a changed person because of you. Are you proud, _Lord_ Kavinsky?”

“Kavinsky?” Max whispered behind him. “Oh, fuck _me_.”

Emilio wasn’t going to bother with what he meant by that until later because obviously, there was a lot more to Max than he let on. “Well?” he snapped, crossing his arms as efficiently as one in a cast could.

“Oh, are we talking now?” the older man snorted as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to stand here and have it out with a child-”

“You were more than willing to threaten this child almost three years ago.”

Yup, Mr. Yulian was probably going to kick some ass today. His face said it all. “People speak from bad places in their anger,” Mr. Kavinsky replied with a shrug as if it were all that simple and easy. As if threatening to murder Emilio and hide his body was totally nothing. As if everything that had happened was nothing. “I’ve actually fleshed out my anger for the day on your father so consider your berating of me in public as a gift.”

Oh man, he was so getting the deets from his dad today. “Must’ve been bad. He’s in a baaaad mood today.”

“Sadly, my favorite mug suffered.”

“Wow, boohoo.”

Amusement flashed through Mr. Kavinsky’s eyes which just pissed Emilio off more. “Boohoo, indeed.” His eyes paused on something and it took a moment for Emilio to realize that it was Marcus’ protective hand on his shoulder. “You are?”

“Marcus, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Marcus,” Mr. Kavinsky repeated as he nodded as if now everything in the world made sense. Emilio wasn’t sure that anything did but the man had always been delusional. He turned his unflinching gaze back on Emilio. “Guasón.”

Joker? “Is that…supposed to mean something?”

“Just tell your father ‘guasón.’”

“Um…okay. I guess…” Years of seeing this man as authority and as an adult that he was supposed to listen to didn’t allow him to refuse. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he murmured as he walked off, crossing the street to his casino without a glance left or right. Emilio almost wanted a car to come speeding out of nowhere.

Mr. Yulian was looking both surprised and pleased by this development so Emilio had to ask because he was so very obviously missing something. “Is there a particular reason I’m supposed to tell my dad?”

“It’ll brighten his mood today, I’ll tell you that much,” Mr. Yulian laughed before setting a hand on Emilio’s shoulder and adding softly “It’s really good to see you. Get better.”

He watched as Mr. Yulian walked away and with a guilty thought, Emilio realized that not once had he asked about his love. This was the only chance he had, wasn’t it? Or at least, he didn’t plan on running into them again for a long time. “Mr. Yulian?” The tall limping man turned as he reached the opposite sidewalk. “J…Joseph?”

Even from here, he could see the shadow that crossed the older man’s face and the pit in Emilio’s stomach grew large and gnarled. “Talk to your dad.”

Talk to his dad. He couldn’t say that he liked the sound of that but Mr. Yulian was already gone to push him for more. “Who were those dudes?” Richi asked, giving Emilio a nudge. “How do you know ‘em?”

Something bad had happened, he could feel it. Or just something not so good. Joseph had always gotten into trouble but maybe now…the trouble was a lot more serious?

Talk to his dad?

“Emilio?”

“I…need to go,” he murmured as he stared out across the street at a building that had more meaning in his life than just being a building. He’d only been a couple times but it was like it held the representation of his childhood. Shrugging off Marcus’ concerned hand, he said in a stronger voice “I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later.”

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Marcus said quickly, grasping back Emilio before he could go. “You okay?” No, he was pretty sure that he wasn’t. But that was irrelevant. “I can go back with you if you want?”

He knew that Marcus was waiting to hear a yes but there’d be no yes coming. Emilio needed time to process his thoughts alone. His house was packed as it was. “Nah, it’s okay.” Marcus looked crestfallen as hell and it hurt but it didn’t hurt enough to make him change his mind. “You guys go have lunch and whatever. Have fun.”

“We can walk you home?”

“No thanks,” Emilio said as he once more pulled out of his boyfriend’s grasp and began his trudge home. The guys kept calling out but he ignored the words. Guasón? Who was that? Was it even a person though? And talk to your dad? His father hadn’t even told him that he was going to talk with the Bulgarian asshole.

He was going to give him crap for that one.

By the time Emilio reached home, he was more tired than he even should be but maybe his mental exhaustion was worsening his physical one. He dragged himself up the stairs, his backpack feeling heavier than he knew it was, and took out his keys, opening the door. On the couch sat his grandparents and tío had taken up occupancy in the old armchair that was the most comfortable thing in the world.

“Hola, nieto,” abuela said with a smile though when she saw that Emilio neither returned her greeting or her smile, it slid off her face. “Qué pasa?”

“Nothing,” Emilio muttered as he yanked off his shoes, leaving them at the door which suddenly opened and nearly knocked him over. “Excuse you.”

His father appeared around the door looking apologetic. “My bad, mijo. I’m in a bit of a ru-”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to talk to Mr. Kavinsky?”

Whatever rush his father had been in, it stopped right in its tracks. Sighing and shutting the door, he crossed his arms and scanned Emilio carefully. “Who’d you hear that from? And, technically, I did tell you. Right before I left.”

“Saying details at a later notice doesn’t count.” From the just the tiniest twitch of his father’s eye, Emilio could tell that he definitely didn’t like his tone. Especially because they were in front of an audience. “That’s like a complete cop out.”

“Really.”

“Yeah, actually, it is. You should’ve told me.”

“I distinctly remember saying that I was going to tell you _afterwards_. Telling you before I went would’ve been pointless.” Emilio was about to disagree but his father cut him off with sternly said words. “For that matter, its work related and being that I have never shared work things-”

“It’s not work things!” he snapped and he knew that he’d end up grounded later. Or at least facing the cold shoulder. Emilio was pushing his father more and more these days and eventually, the man wasn’t going to be so forgiving anymore. “One, you went for information that probably has to do with Juan and Carlos. Two, that man was in my life for seven years and is the father of my ex and is the fucking reason that he isn’t around anymore. Sounds a lot more personal than work related.”

It was subtle but Emilio could see the tiny clench of his father’s jaw. The man had had all his buttons pushed today and Emilio wasn’t helping by jamming them in farther. “Nieto,” abuela said as she got to her feet and came over to stand not quite between them, but close enough. “Mi amor, he was going to tell you. Whether before or after, why does it matter?”

“How’d you know.”

Emilio’s gaze flicked from his grandmother to the man in front of him. “I ran into a couple choice Bulgarians today.” His father’s eyes went wide but the anger was still there. “Mr. Yulian said that you didn’t detail my injuries good enough and explained that he’d seen you only an hour before. Mr. Kavinsky said that you guys took out your anger on each other. I figured that meant you left disappointed?”

He knew he was rubbing it in but Emilio hardly cared. He was too irritated to care. Everything was colliding and, he knew, making him an insufferable ass. “Are you okay?”

Was he okay? What kind of question was that? “Huh?”

“After seeing the man who was in your life for seven years and the father of your ex and who is the fucking-”

“You seriously mocking me?” That was like…so below his father. Below below.

“Enough,” abuela cut in, her voice daring either of them to challenge her as she glared between them. “You’re both pushing and eventually, someone is going to push too hard and someone’s going to be hurt. Stop before it gets there.”

His father snorted as he rolled his eyes and started to walk off to his room. “Good, let someone hurt. He fucking deserves it.”

“Excuse me?” Emilio called after him, shrugging off abuela’s hand that was trying to stop him from following. His father came back out of his room a second later, stuffing something in his pocket. Irritation was written all over his face, making his body taunt as a rubber band ready to snap, as he walked past Emilio without a glance. “Hello, I’m talking here. Don’t fucking ignore me.”

Whether it was the curse or the superior attitude – Emilio was sure that it was both – it caused his father to slam the door he’d just opened and whirl around to face him.

Emilio was pretty sure he’d never seen his father this angry at anyone except maybe abuelo earlier.

“I will _fucking_ ignore if I want to. Because if I don’t, _Emilio_ -”

The way he just said his name gave Emilio the scared heeby jeebies. He was pretty sure that this seething terrifying man in front of him was the gangster that had once had people frozen in fear. Really, it was probably like when Joseph used to say there were two sides to his father; the man he loved and the mobster.

“-I will end up saying something that I will regret. I tolerate a lot from you.”

Yeah, he really did.

“And in return,” his father spat, his finger jamming into Emilio’s chest causing him to wince. It bothered him that his father didn’t even look…remotely guilty for causing the sharp pain. “What I get is your bullshit attitude. Again and again and _again_!” he snapped, slamming a fist into the wall beside them with a loud _slam!_ that reverberated through the whole house.

Even the leaky faucet went quiet.

Never in his life had he been scared of his father. But then, never in his life had he seen him snap. Emilio was pretty sure that if he kept getting yelled at…he was going to cry. His parents didn’t yell at them…like ever and now that he was experiencing it…Emilio didn’t know how to handle any of it.

“Raul,” abuela warned, taking a step closer and looking like she wanted to put a hand on him. Emilio couldn’t believe it but…she was afraid of him too. That was worse than _Emilio_ being afraid. “Calm down.”

Ignoring her completely, his father pointed at himself as he hissed “I don’t have to put up with all your fucking bullshit but I do because I love you. Because I want you happy. I didn’t have to go beat the shit out of Ivo, I _shouldn’t have_ , but I did! Do you know why?”

Emilio wasn’t sure if he was actually supposed to answer but he shook his head to the negative because that seemed like a safe bet.

“Because I fucking give a damn! I could’ve lost my job, I could’ve lost _everything_ , because I’m fucking officer of the law and I went and dragged his ass into a dirty ass _alley_ and pinned him against the wall and put all my fury into those hits for you! For your hurts! For your anger! He’s a fucking mafia don, for fuck’s sake! You know what they could’ve done to me if he’d decided to tell someone?”

Actually, yeah, because he and Joseph had watched tons of mafia movies.

“I could’ve been murdered but no one would’ve ever known, and I guarantee you no one would’ve ever found my body. I do a lot for you, Emilio, a fucking lot and in return, I get your bullshit. I get this,” he waved a hand up and down like he was both trying to find the word and indicate Emilio’s being, “this fucking superior attitude! This demanding voice and a total lack of respect! I’m the father for fuck’s sake! Your father who has only _ever_ treated you like you’re the damn best thing in the world and that’s what I get? That’s all I deserve?”

Was crying in front of a gangster a sign of weakness? Because Emilio’s eyes were packed with tears and he wasn’t sure he could hold them any longer.

“Is it, I asked!”

Oh, this was a question. “I-I…”

Yeah, like Emilio could formulate proper thoughts right now.

“Am I just shit beneath you? I don’t ask for much, just some reasonable amount of _fucking respect._ ”

He’d never even realized that he’d ever not given his father respect. The man was like God in his eyes. Did it not show or something?

“Raul,” abuela said in a stronger voice, trying to diffuse the ticking time bomb once more.

His father laughed as he shook his head, like nothing at all made sense to him. Emilio couldn’t even meet his gaze anymore and had his head hanging down to the floor. “Fuck this,” his father snorted and as strong and as angry as it sounded, Emilio could hear the distress in it.

It was nice knowing his father was still somewhere in that ugly anger.

“Just fuck this,” he repeated as the sound of the door opening cut into the tension of the house. “Fuck this.” From the corner of his blurry eyes, Emilio saw his father’s feet backtrack from going out and pause. “You want to play nasty attitude all the time? You want to be rude and a fucking jackass? I can do that too. _Fuck you_.”

And the door slammed shut.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> For those of you who didn't get the message bc you don't read Proko's story, both Proko and Emilio's stories are going on a hiatus. If you want to get the deets bc I really don't feel like writing it all over again, go to the latest update of Prokopenko's story
> 
> We'll be back to our regular scheduled programing April 19th over here
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget, April 19th get your asses back here

Emilio laid there in bed as he stared up at his ceiling. He had been for the past God knew how long though he was sure that it was more than a couple hours by now.

_Fuck you_

Fuck

You

“Go away,” he mumbled miserably to whoever was knocking. It was probably his grandmother being that she’d tried to talk to him since his father had left. His sisters were probably home by now but they wouldn’t come to him only because they knew to stay away when he was in a bad mood.

_Fuck you_

He was an ass sometimes but…was Emilio really that bad? “I said go away,” he snapped in a louder voice when the knock came again, harder this time. “Just leave me alone.”

_Fuck you_

Did his father hate him? Was this what hate felt like? Because if it was…Emilio would rather be dead than feel the burning flame that was eating his insides. It just felt like something was ripping and ripping with the sharpest claws to exist.

Sure, he’d pushed but…for him to just…

_Fuck you_

Wiping the new tears that wanted to escape his eyes, Emilio hiccupped and grabbed the pillow beside him, covering his face with it. It sucked when he wasn’t able to lie on his stomach to properly cry into a pillow.

Fuck you? Something told Emilio that just…apologizing wasn’t going to work anytime soon.

And that just made him feel worse.

It wasn’t until later after their fight when he’d dragged himself to his room and cried for probably an hour that Emilio realized that he’d never asked about Joseph nor told his father about Mr. Kavinsky’s message. “Yeah, well, see if I do now. Let him scrounge for it all he likes.”

Petty. That’s what Emilio was being. Petty and fucking stupid. But…he was hurting and while withholding important information sounded like a bad idea, Emilio was going to do it anyways. Wasn’t he allowed to be stupid and impulsive too?

Yeah, he could.

So that’s what he was going to be.

Fuck you? Fine, fuck you.

He ignored the pain of guilt eating at his heart as he rolled off his bed and slipped his shoes back on. The poor canvas slip-ons were looking worse and worse by the day but new shoes weren’t in the funds right now. With a tired sigh, he grabbed his backpack and stuffed his pain pillow in it just in case along with the usuals of wallet and so on. Why spend his day in a house that was feeling hostile? Emilio knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be able to face anyone of his family so why not remove the problem?

Himself.

Zipping up his sweater and stuffing his phone in his pocket after plugging in his headphones and resting them on his neck, Emilio grabbed his final accessory of a ragged cap and set it on his head. “I look like shit,” he laughed depressingly, glancing at himself in his mirror. Jesus, he looked exhausted. “Utter shit.”

Emilio paused as he set his hand on the knob, too afraid to go out. Abuela would stop him one way or another, he knew, but he just needed to get out for now. “She’s just an old lady,” Emilio muttered to himself even though the whole world knew she wasn’t just an old lady. “I can do this.”

Opening the door as silently as possibly, he peeked his head out down the hall to the living room where abuela, tío, and Luis were sitting. Sadly, the one sitting on the couch facing the hall was abuela because that was just how fate loved to fuck with him. “Nieto!” she said in surprise, jumping to her feet. “Don’t you dare close that door,” she threatened.

Well, he needed to leave so despite how much he wanted to hide, he had no chance but to go out. Slipping out of his room with his backpack on the good shoulder, he narrowly avoided her in the small hall and walked to the door. “I’m going out.”

“Out where?” abuela asked, both angry and worried as she followed him. “It’s almost evening. There’s no going out now. It gets dark early now.”

Unlocking the four locks, he replied “Just out.”

“Nieto,” she practically snapped, apparently not appreciating his attitude any more than anyone in this family did. But he ignored the warning tone and walked out, closing the door…kind of in her face.

Fuck, he was going to be in so much trouble. Worse than he already was.

Taking the stairs easy because he didn’t want to tire himself out before he even made it anywhere, Emilio went out their building and paused, glancing left and right. His initial idea was to go to Marcus because that was what people were supposed to do but…for some reason, Emilio just didn’t want the ‘boyfriend’ care and advice. He didn’t want hugs and kisses and ‘it’s gonna be okay.’ He wanted…just ears to listen and maybe a co-conspirator if he wanted to do something stupid.

He just wanted a friend.

Sean, Jax, and Richi were cool guys but they were Marcus’ friends technically and he didn’t want to put them in an awkward position. Joe was…well, Joe but Emilio didn’t know where he lived.

That left Max.

Max _was_ nice enough. Easy going, seemingly decent…but Emilio didn’t really know him very well to just pop up at his home. He’d gotten the address when they’d first started the project because he said he didn’t mind if they worked at his place but Emilio had never gone. It’d be awkward, wouldn’t it?

It was either awkward or stay standing here like an idiot.

Awkward it was.

The walk was a long one and Emilio regretted not taking the bus. But there was no point in paying for it when he was already up to this point anyways. Max lived in a more affluent neighborhood, a lot like Joseph’s and Andrey’s really. On the same side of town too.

Irony he didn’t appreciate.

Letting out a ragged breath and pausing to take a sip of water, Emilio trudged down the street where Max lived. “Should be…” he trailed off, reading house numbers as he walked, “…this…one.”

Well, Joe hadn’t been joking about a mansion. “Holy shit, Max.”

Joseph had lived in a gorgeous home. Andrey had lived in a gorgeous home. But as large and expensive as they seemed, somehow, Max’s place looked even more expensive. Joseph’s house had had three floors: basement/garage, first floor with the kitchen and all that, and the top floor where most of the bedrooms were.

Max’s looked like it had double that.

He tried not to be embarrassed as he and his ragged shoes opened the little decorative gate and went in, climbing the stairs to the front door. “Inside is probably going to look insane,” Emilio laughed quietly as he rang the bell. For a brief moment, he wondered if he should have called or texted first but too late now.

Putting on his best smile as the locks sounded, Emilio wished he’d soaked his puffy face in cold water as a very bright-faced prim older woman opened the door. Had to be his mom, right? “Um, hi,” he greeted oh so pathetically, “is Max home?”

She raised a perfectly done brow and leaned on the door as she asked “And you are?”

“Uh, um, Emilio. I’m a friend from school.”

For some reason, this seemed to spark interest in her sharp dark eyes. “Can’t say that Max has ever done ‘friends’ before.”

“Oh, well,” Emilio started, blushing even though he shouldn’t because he was pretty sure he and Max were friends, “it’s kinda new for us.” He laughed nervously as he scratched under his ear, “We’ve been working on a project together and, uh, we just kinda clicked I guess.”

“You don’t sound so sure.”

Ugh, this woman. He’d had a long enough day as it was, goddamn it. “You know how it is with something new. Uncertainty hangs around for a while.” Did she know? How the fuck did he know? He just hoped she understood under all that…fanciness. She was exactly what you imagined a rich older woman to be.

Kind of like Andrey’s grandma, actually.

Max’s mother laughed and Emilio felt the worry ooze out of him from such a sincere sounding laugh. “That it does, doesn’t it?” Opening the door wider, she gestured him in, “Come in, dear. I’ll show you his room.”

Walking in with a smile with her shutting the door after him, Emilio said “Thank you…wow…”

Wow.

“Thank you,” she replied, amusement making her eyes sparkle and her smile grow larger. Emilio tried not to focus in on the fact that she didn’t have a whole ton of laugh lines to match her age. Maybe she only recently started laughing so carefreely. “I did all the designing myself.” Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she led him to the staircase that was right before them.

Heels. Who wore heels in their own home? Mrs. Kavinsky was rich but he’d never seen her do that sort of thing. Half the time she looked like a complete mess with hairs flying here and there and her clothes actually looking like she wore them. Heels? Yeah, okay.

Emilio took a quick peek at what he could see of the gorgeous kitchen and dining room before following her up the stairs. Then they had to go up the _next_ flight of stairs. Of course Max just couldn’t be on the lower floors. He wanted Emilio to die today. Max’s mother led him across a spacious sitting area that had doors to a large balcony that literally had the entire city in its sights to a room with the door closed. Giving it a light tap, she called “Maximillian, you have a guest.”

Guests must not be an often thing because the door opened so fast in curious surprise that Emilio totally thought it was going to come off the fancy hinges. “A guest?” Max asked, his face completely lost until it caught sight of Emilio, brightening as it did. “Emilio?”

“Yeah, hi,” he mumbled, his cheeks heating from embarrassed desperation. It took the need to get out of his house to realize that he…technically had no friends. Joseph blowing him off had flipped his entire personality upside down. Emilio had isolated himself. “I, uh, figured we should work since we didn’t finish today.”

Max was as blank faced as ever, his narrow eyes narrowing even more but he nodded. “Yeah, sure, come in.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Emilio said quickly before her and her heels went too far. She was fast, goddamn. She gave him a little wave before she disappeared. Turning back to Max who had to be feeling as awkward as Emilio was looking, he asked “Mom, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a yawn as he let Emilio into the room before closing the door. “What the fuck brought you here?”

“Does your mom decorate your room?” he couldn’t help but ask, ignoring the inquiry, because…where the fuck was the personality in here? It was like those designer rooms you saw on like…Ikea ads or something. “Where’s the life, man?”

Snorting on a laugh, Max bounced onto his huge bed and patted a spot beside him. Emilio took the offered seat after setting his bag on the floor and slipping off his shoes. “Actually, yes, she does. It has to match the house.” Giving Emilio a calculating look, he asked “So what’s wrong?”

“Who said anything is wrong?” Emilio replied, slightly annoyed because he didn’t think he was that easy to read. “Maybe I just showed up for the hell of it.”

“One,” Max began, counting on his hand, “you don’t do that. Two, you came here, not to your boyfriend, and three,” he flicked up the final and third finger, “you look like you’ve been crying for days on end.”

“It sure feels like I have,” Emilio muttered as he laid down, hoping that Max didn’t mind. Reaching blindly for his backpack, Emilio opened it and grabbed his pain pillow to clutch it to his chest. It helped both the pain searing through him physically and mentally. “Do…you and…your dad get in a lot of fights?”

A considerate look came on Max’s face and Emilio had to say that he did in fact like it. It made him look more real than anything ever had. “Did you and your dad fight?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

With a shrug, Max added an extra pillow to the one behind himself and lay down. “Doesn’t everyone though? But honestly, my dad has been through seven boys before me and he’s old so…he’s kind of more forgetful than anything else. Doesn’t remember to yell at me.” He laughed and added “But damn does my mom love to. And my brothers.”

Emilio didn’t think he liked the sound of a forgetful father. He loved that he and his father had always been close.

And now they weren’t.

“So did you and yours fight?”

He wished he could roll onto his side to hide away. “Yeah,” he whispered, the leftover tears he still had lodging themselves deep in his throat to the point where it was a battle to get out words. “It got…ugly. We don’t fight. Like ever. We’ve always been super close and I tell him almost everything but lately…”

“Things just aren’t going right?” Max asked, resting on his side and tucking his hands under his head.

Emilio nodded.

“Why’d you come here and not go to Marcus?”

To be honest, Emilio still wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because he missed having a friend. Marcus was both friend and boyfriend but it’d always be different than someone who was just a friend. “I needed a friend,” he answered softly, clutching his pillow tighter, “and I like to think that we are.”

Silence followed his confession but it was a form of disagreement. In fact, it was soothing. “Hey Emilio?” Max finally murmured.

“Yeah.”

“You…said that your ex was from thee mob family of the city.”

Had he? Probably. Emilio hardly remembered anything anymore. Or maybe it was because his brain was filled with sadness. He turned his head sideways to gaze at Max who was looking more curious than Emilio had ever seen. “Yeah.”

“Was he Lord Kavinsky’s son?”

Turning his head back to looking up, Emilio gave a little laugh. “Yeah. Stupid right? Falling for a mobster’s son as if that could work out. How stupid can I get.” He turned accusing eyes on Max, “How do you know them? And who’s your dad that you look like?”

Emilio was pretty sure this was the first time he’d ever seen Max blush as he rubbed his short hair that look so freaking soft that Emilio could probably rub his face in it. “My dad…works for Lord Kavinsky.”

Great. Leave it to Emilio to always lean towards the mob boys. Maybe he had a sixth sense for them. “What about the ten brothers?”

“Seven,” Max corrected with a laugh, “and only one does. My mom apparently made my dad promise that he wouldn’t drag any of us into the business.”

“Well, he dragged someone.”

“Trust me, to this day, she gives him hell for that. She gives my brother hell for that and it wasn’t even his choice. My brother was ten when my father pulled him out of school and told him ‘this is what you’re going to be when you grow up.’” Max shrugged with a tired sigh like the weight of those words was his own to carry. “He’s my favorite brother surprisingly. I’ve yelled at him more often than not but he’s still my fav.”

He and Alicia were as competitive as it came, as annoyed with each other as it came, but she was still his favorite after all these years. She got knocked down a few points when she had gone out with Joseph but he couldn’t blame her. Joseph was a gorgeous charming bastard. “Are your dad and brother high up? Advisors?”

Rubbing at his ear, Max replied after another yawn “My dad’s the top advisor-”

“Aw, fuck you,” Emilio groaned, covering his face so he could groan even louder because this situation required it. Like sooo required it. This fucking ass keeping secrets.

“What?”

Removing his hands and giving Max a glare, he pointed out “Dude, we were literally talking about your dad in front of your face and you totally acted like you knew nothing!” Another realization hit him with the revelation of this one. “Asen’s your brother?” he paused before adding “Did he not finish school then? And it’d make sense that he’s your favorite; who doesn’t like Asen? Me and Joseph always had like a billion running jokes about Mr. Sunshine.”

Max just shrugged, averting his eyes. “Must’ve been nice having someone to have running jokes with. I’ve got like…a couple with Asen but he’s my brother and just turned forty so…I’m pretty lame.”

“Honestly, you’re adorable,” Emilio laughed, his chest not feeling as tight as it had. Max gave him a look that didn’t seem to appreciate being adorable. “I don’t think you’re lame but I guess it depends how much my opinion matters to you. I like talking with you. I miss talking with a friend and talking with you just seems…right, I guess.”

Surprise made Max’s eyes go wide, their dark brown color somehow seeming lighter than before, as he pillowed his head on his hand. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do,” he replied as he sat up and with nerves tapping at his mushy heart, he pulled out his phone to take a look who was yelling at him. “Huh,” Emilio murmured to himself, feeling even more depressed than he already was. There was nothing.

There wasn’t a single person asking about him. Not one. He’d expected something from abuela, his sisters, maybe even his mother should she have found out he’d left so late in the day but…there wasn’t a thing. Not a call, not a text.

Nothing.

“Max?” His new official friend hummed. “Do you support pettiness?”

With a huge smile on his face that now caused Emilio to see Asen so easily, Max snorted “Hell fucking yeah, man. I can be petty as fuck.”

“Is it a Bulgarian thing? Because there is no one more petty than a Kavinsky, lemme tell you.” Emilio paused for second, considered Mrs. Kavinsky and Ms. Nikol and added “Or a Dobrev for that matter,” he laughed and snorted “Or an Ivet.”

Looking particularly amused though he probably had no clue what a Dobrev or an Ivet was, Max asked “So how are we going to be petty?”

“Welp, since no is looking for me, I’m crashing here tonight. Am I invited?”

He wasn’t sure if it was the prospect of being petty or Emilio sleeping over but whichever it was, Max sat up in excitement, his entire face looking ten years younger. “Hell. Fucking. Yeah.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> And we're back! Hello and welcome back my dudes.  
> Hope you guys are liking the story so far
> 
> Enjoy
> 
> _"We’re not fine. In fact, we’re done.”_

“Oh hey!” Emilio exclaimed in happy surprise when he caught sight of the plates on the dining table. He’d bounce in place if he didn’t think that he’d be judged for it. “Kufteta po Chirpanski! I _love_ it!”

Max stared at him like he was some freak from outer space. Not an alien but a _freak_. There was in fact a difference. “You…” he trailed with one eyebrow raised as he pulled out a chair and sat down, tapping the spot beside him, “know what this is?”

“You kidding me?” Emilio snorted as he sat down, wincing when his chair made a loud screech against the shining hardwood floor. It seemed so wrong in such a proper house. “This is one of my all time favs, man.” He wanted to pick up his spoon and dig right in but he had a feeling that’d be rude, especially because the table was set for three other people who weren’t sitting yet.

“The potatoes are the best part,” Emilio continued, enraptured by his plate as he waited impatiently. “All soaked in the tomato stew. I haven’t had Bulgarian food in _forever_.” He so missed it. The flavors were bomb and Mrs. Kavinsky had always been one hell of a cook. Hopefully Max’s mom was good too. If the smell was anything to go by, it’d be absolutely delish.

“Are you a fan, Emilio?” Mrs. Max’s mom asked, her arrival from the kitchen announced with her heels. She pulled out the seat across from Max at the huge…maybe granite table and settled herself in it with a smile. “This is one of Max’s father’s favorites.”

His stomach turned a touch ill at having to meet Lubomir all over again. The old man was seemingly nice but Emilio was nervous nonetheless. Lord Kovachev was one hell of a big cheese from way back when.

Oh, Kovachev. Duh.

Smiling back at Mrs. Kovachev who was nice enough to not ask why the hell he was still here, Emilio replied “Huuuge. I dig all things Bulgarian, ma’am.” He wanted to laugh and make a joke about how he literally was a fan of _all_ things Bulgarian but maybe she didn’t believe in dirty jokes. “And thank you for having me.”

“My pleasure,” she said, taking a sip of water from a damn wine glass as the door opened. She didn’t even turn to look at the two people who walked in as she snorted “You’re late.”

“Our meeting went a little- ah, Emilio! I wondered when you would eventually make it here.”

With his lips quivering from his nervous smile to a scary old man who wasn’t looking too scary at the moment, Emilio stood up and shook his hand because he was pretty sure that was what good manners were. His dad had always said – and still said – manners were what made impressions. “Thank you for having me even though you didn’t know you were even having me.”

“Two Vidals in one day,” Lord Kovachev laughed, shaking Emilio’s hand before he took his seat at the head of the table. “Must be my lucky day. And it is our pleasure. You’re welcome anytime.”

“If I see a third,” Asen laughed as he walked over from putting his father’s coat in the closet, “will I win the lottery?”

Rolling his eyes as he sat back down because Asen didn’t care about formal handshakes, Emilio snorted “We’re not leprechauns, Mr. Sunshine. You gotta get in touch with the Irish for that.” He waited until Asen sat down beside Mrs. Kovachev before he felt like he could take a sip of water. Emilio was more than sure he was holding the cup wrong. He felt so clumsy holding it. “And plus, you’re stinking rich. You don’t need the lottery.”

“Fair enough,” Asen laughed, tipping his cup towards Emilio before taking a drink. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”

A fair question but Emilio really wanted to ask when he was allowed to touch his food. No one was touching their plates yet and the smell was starting to get to him. “Ah, well…” he picked up his fork the minute he saw Mrs. Kovachev do so, taking a bite of delicious food. Fuck, he missed this food. “This is amazing, by the way.” Mrs. Kovachev looked beyond pleased by the compliment, her smile giving her some proper laugh lines that were needed. “So…Emilio may have, uh, pissed off his already incredibly pissed off father-”

“Oh, he had quite the bristling attitude today,” Lord Kovachev snorted. “I wasn’t sure I was looking at the same man that I know. Bitterness doesn’t sit well on his shoulders.”

“You didn’t even hear them when they started yelling,” Asen said, poking a piece of meatball on his fork. “I had to stand there acting like I didn’t hear a word, especially when Lord Kavinsky came out practically ripping the door off its hinges.”

“Him and that temper,” Mrs. Kovachev snorted, her face expressing her utter disdain before she took a sip of her fancy water.

“Yeah, so,” Emilio continued, after a bite of amazingness and a sip of his own water. Did these people not have juice with food or something? “I happened to have pissed him off even more because I apparently have a superior attitude when I talk to him.”

He didn’t miss the look Lord Kovachev gave Max so Emilio had a feeling it was something that happened around here too. It had to be a teenage thing and it was just that Emilio had never been quite normal.

“And then he yelled at me.”

“That’s it?” Max asked, looking confused as hell with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Dude, if I was going to get upset every time someone yelled at me, I’d be upset every second of my life.” Both of Max’s parents looked particularly unamused. “Maybe you just a need a thicker skin.”

“My dad doesn’t yell, like, ever,” Emilio replied, not necessarily annoyed but not exactly appreciative of the words either. Max just happened to be immune to yelling. It happened when you grew up with people always yelling at you. Or you ended up an anxious mess like Joseph had always been. “He makes very effective points without it. So having him yell at me and telling me to go fuck myself has shattered any self-worth I may have had.”

What happened to over-confident Emilio, he’d never know. Well, he did know he just hadn’t expected his worth to be so easily chipped at by people.

“Which is to say, not much,” he continued, stabbing a meatball with a little too much force because of stupid fucking Joseph, “because my fucking ex is a fucking selfish ass,” if he was looking at Asen, he’d see just how high his eyebrows could go, “who ruined any self confidence I may have had. Fucking _fucking_ ass.” He shoved the meatball into his mouth.

It was so good.

And now was bringing along stupid Joseph memories.

“I…guess the break up wasn’t good?” Mrs. Kovachev laughed and why wouldn’t she? It wasn’t like she knew how bad everything had been. “This young lady must have left one grand impression on you.”

She obviously didn’t know that Joseph wasn’t a young lady either.

“Young man, actually,” Emilio corrected with a smile, waiting for whatever reaction she may have for him. Max and Asen obviously already knew though he wasn’t sure how much Lord Kovachev was aware of. “Kavinskys have a way of imprinting themselves so deep under your skin that you either love ‘em or want to kill ‘em. The young lady who was my ex after my asshole of an ex is a sweetheart.” He took a sip of water with his lack of wine glass manners, “She wouldn’t hurt a fly. She could, but she never would.”

Mrs. Kovachev had such decorum that she hid her face well. But just from the way she swallowed a lump of food down her long throat, Emilio could tell she wasn’t comfortable. “Young man? Oh…that’s,” she paused, trying to come up with a word, pasting a smile on her face, “wonderful, I’m sure.”

Not in the mood for anyone anymore, Emilio turned back to his food. He didn’t know the next time he’d be eating Bulgarian food cooked by an actual Bulgarian again. “Yeah, well, Ivo Kavinsky disagreed.”

“Emilio,” Asen warned though Emilio wasn’t too sure what he was warning for.

“What? It’s not like you people don’t know you work for a fucking homophobic murdering abuser.” He wanted to stab another meatball but he’d finished his plate. Was it proper to ask for more? “And from the lack of shock on your face, you know more than you let on. Max already knows-”

“You skipped a hell of a lot of details,” Max interrupted with a snort while scooping more food into Emilio’s food like he knew what he wanted. That’s what friends were for, right?

“And,” Emilio continued after a thanks for the food, “respectfully, you’re not an idiot, Lord Kovachev.”

“I like to think not, thank you,” the old man chuckled. Forking some salad into his mouth, Lord Kovachev added after swallowing “I did not know the exact thing that caused their falling out but that would do it.”

“A-fucking-men,” Emilio said with a tip of his glass in Lord Kovachev’s direction who in turn, tipped his own glass. Old men could be chill, who would’ve thought. “And, you know, Joseph’s an ass like his dad so…he just leaves Emilio high and dry like he’s nothing at all. Like he didn’t give him the best year of their lives or anything.”

“I feel like I need to give you a shot of alcohol just so you can slam it down,” Asen laughed, relaxing back into his chair. “Or maybe send you to therapy.”

Honestly, Emilio probably needed both of those things.

Especially now that he was about to cry in front of these people. Cry from pain, from embarrassment about opening up to practically strangers, cry from this damn day.

Jesus, he was a fucking wreck.

And it made him angry.

Setting down his fork with all his appetite now gone, Emilio took a deep breath and asked carefully “Where’s the bathroom?”

Max got to his feet, “I’ll show you.”

Pretty sure that he had no intentions of coming back to this table and not wanting to seem too rude, Emilio said to Max’s mom with the steadiest voice he could manage “Thank you for the food, it was delicious.”

She probably said ‘you’re welcome’ or something but Emilio’s brain was just fizzled to nothingness as he followed Max up the stairs. He was pretty sure there was a bathroom downstairs but whatever. And he was pretty sure Max’s room wasn’t a bathroom but Emilio didn’t actually need to go some he didn’t care as he rolled himself onto the bed and wished so badly that he could lie on his stomach so he could cry into a pillow.

The bed dipped beside him and suddenly a pillow was floating above with an arm attached. “This pillow is great for smooshing your face in.”

Accepting the pillow with a laugh, Emilio dropped it on his face while ignoring how bad his chest was hurting because he was sure it was from heartache not lung pain. “For someone who’s never had a friend,” he mumbled through the pillow, “you’re doing a good job at this so far.”

“You really think so?”

It was both cute and sad how happy Max sounded. Had he really never had friends before? “Yeah, I do. You caught onto my feelings like nothing, man. That’s good friend intuition.”

“If he’s such an ass, why do you still love him?”

“And that,” Emilio muttered darkly, “is called annoying ass intuition that people don’t like.”

The pillow was peeled off his face and Max’s was above him, his gaze way too…aware of the situation. “You still love him, I can tell. A lot, actually. He doesn’t deserve it if he’s an asshole.”

“You wouldn’t understand because you don’t know him,” Emilio said softly, looking away from that powerful gaze that he couldn’t meet. “He was annoying as hell and an ass an had serious attitude issues but…he was also sweet and funny and caring and just…everything. He was a mess but he was my perfect person.”

“Until he left you behind.”

“Yeah,” Emilio whispered, tears blurring his vision and making it hard to breathe, “until that.”

Silence fell between them and he felt the mattress dip long beside him. He appreciated that Max just seemed to…accept him so easily. Rando dude he barely knew shows up, throws himself into his room, and his bed and just…

Accepts him.

Not only that but he was totally chill about them lying down next to each other.

“Your phone’s vibrating,” Max murmured. Emilio had in fact heard it but he was ignoring it. He shouldn’t but- “At least tell someone you’re okay, you know? They might be worried.”

Max was right though Emilio hated that he was right. Sighing as he stretched out his good arm and dragged his bag over, Emilio reached in and took out his phone that lit up once more with a call. “Hello,” he said softly to Marcus who probably wasn’t calling to yell at him.

“Where the fuck are you?”

It wasn’t yelling but it wasn’t very nice sounding either. What had Emilio done wrong now? “Hi to you to. How are you? Oh, that’s good. I’m good too. That’s how you start a conversation, just so you know.”

“You’ve missed three of my calls over the span of almost two hours, man.” Had he? He hadn’t even noticed. “I figured you were busy but then you kept not answering and then Alicia calls me up looking for you because you disappeared and no one knows where the fuck you went. Where are you?”

“She didn’t call me.”

“Would you have answered?”

Fair point. “I needed air. I came to Max’s. What’s the big deal?”

Besides that he told no one and just walked out.

An annoyed silence met his answer before Marcus’ annoyance beat out his need to keep quiet. “Why? If you needed air, why didn’t you come to me? I’m pretty sure I live closer too.”

Marcus did in fact live closer to Emilio. “I just…I…needed to…get away and…”

“And you thought of Max before your boyfriend or what?” He sounded angry. Emilio didn’t like it. He was tired of everyone being angry with him today. “You barely even know him too and you went to him instead of coming to me?”

“I…I just…wanted someone to talk to.”

“And…you couldn’t do that with me?”

The tears were back and it pissed Emilio off. When had he become such a stupid mess who couldn’t even handle conversations anymore? Wiping his eyes with angry hands and glad that he was facing away from Max, Emilio replied “I could but I just-”

“Thought of some random group member to go to. Instead of your boyfriend. Would you have gone to Joe next if Max hadn’t been home?” Emilio stayed silent because he had in fact considered going to Joe before going to Marcus. Was that wrong? “Unbelievable. You would’ve, wouldn’t you?”

Pissed was a more appropriate word than angry now.

“Okay then,” Marcus snorted, and Emilio didn’t like it at all. He sounded so mad and all Emilio wanted to do was apologize but his pain was making the words get stuck in his throat. “Fine. Is it because he’s white?”

“What?”

“Isn’t he like Eastern Euro or something too? His name sounds it. Does he remind you of Joseph? That why you went to him?”

Emilio sat up in his disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Were you hoping that if you closed your eyes and wished hard enough, you can imagine him as the love of your life? Or is it because rich? Bet that reminds you of Joseph too, huh?”

“Marcus-”

“Whatever. Enjoy your white boy, ass.”

He stared at his phone in shock after he was so brutally hung up on, tears rolling down in face. Okay, so maybe skipping out on Marcus wasn’t nice of him but…why was he the one who was always wrong? It didn’t even have _anything_ to do with such…stupid superficial things. Seriously? Joseph hadn’t even been on his mind when he’d decided to come to Max. “Everyone hates me.”

“Well…” Max said, dragging out the word like he wasn’t sure how to go about answering, “if…if it counts for anything, I don’t. I like you. What you see is what you get and I like that. A lot.”

“It counts,” Emilio murmured, setting his hand in his lap as he stared down at the dark screen of his phone. “It really does. Thank you.”

“So…” Max drawled as he sat up, resting his chin on Emilio’s shoulder as though they totally did that every day, “am I winning at the friend thing yet? I feel like I’m doing a good job here. Am I?”

Letting a small laugh escape his throat, Emilio nodded. “You’re doing fucking fab.” He stared numbly at his phone as it lit up, Maria now looking for him.

“You should answer that.”

With a sigh, Emilio answered it. “Yes.”

“I need Max’s address.”

“Marcus sure works fast. And why do you need said address?”

“I’m sent to drag your ass home,” she replied, not sounding too happy about it. Or maybe she’d heard about the fight and was disappointed with Emilio like everyone else was. “Mama says that if you ever do something so stupid as walking out at night without telling anyone where you are again, she’ll tie you to Linda.”

He knew his mother had picked Linda because they all knew that there was no way he could ever convince Linda to get in trouble with him. Emilio could convince his other sisters, but not Linda. Trust him, he’s tried. “I’m crashing at Max’s-”

“Emilio, like, seriously, please stop making this harder than it needs to be. At least on me. Please. We both know I can’t go home without you.”

Yeah, he knew that. “Well, Max’s house has more rooms than Joseph’s ever did so you can totally crash here with me.”

“Totally,” Max agreed, his ear glued to the other side of the phone.

“Emilio.”

Sighing in defeat, he handed over the address and asked carefully “Is…papa home?”

“No. Should he be?”

Ah, so she didn’t know. Meaning abuela probably hadn’t told anyone yet in hopes that she’d fix them before anyone noticed. Emilio didn’t think that’d be happening anytime soon though. “Me and him got in a fight,” Emilio admitted with guilt twisting his heart. “That’s why I left. I was – am – too coward to even look at him. We both said some mean things and…yeah…he said meaner things but I can’t even blame him.”

“How mean we talking? Crap,” Maria muttered, “When did this street become one way? Anyways, how mean?”

“He told me to fuck myself,” he mumbled miserably, wishing the fetal position didn’t hurt. “That he’s sick of my attitude. Oh and he punched the wall. I totally saw paint flake off.”

Maria was struck into silence. Or, that’s what he figured her quiet was. “What the hell did you say to him for him to get that pissed? I mean, dude, I almost married Jesus and I didn’t get cursed at like that.”

Emilio groaned, hanging his head. Max’s chin was starting to hurt his shoulder so he shrugged him off and sighed to his sister “Are you sure you don’t want to crash here?”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Don't forget that Emilio's story is also open to Snapshots if there's something you'd like to see
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> _"Deresse must’ve found out and that’s why he dumped his ho ass.”_

“I can sleep in the car,” Emilio whispered though he wasn’t sure why he was whispering as he stared up at their apartment building. Maybe it was the fear. The apprehension trying to eat him from inside out. “Really, I don’t mind.”

“Don’t be a coward,” Maria snorted as she got out. The least she could do as the oldest was provide the sympathy he was seeking, goddammit. “C’mon.”

Sighing as he, his backpack, and his pain pillow got out of the car, Emilio shut the door and trudged to their building with his head hanging low. No one knew about the fight yet which was good but it wasn’t like they wouldn’t be able to taste the tension in the air. Abuela was good at acting like nothing was going on but who knew how Luis and tío were. “I had kufteta for dinner.”

“Chirpanski style?” Emilio nodded as his sister opened the gate and then the door. “I’m jealous. You should’ve asked for leftovers.”

Emilio laughed even though he wasn’t really feeling it, dragging himself up the stairs behind his sister. “I’d be way too terrified to ask. His mom is scary as fuck. She’s got like that nine-yard gaze that makes you feel miniscule.” He paused at the top of the stairs, looking at their door. “You sure I can’t sleep in the car? Or just go back to Max’s?”

Maria rolled her eyes, going into their apartment with a snort and leaving the door wide open for him. Rude. With a heavy sigh, Emilio dragged himself in, pointedly ignoring everyone staring at him. His house had too many damn people in it. His technique worked up until his mother’s stern voice made him stop on his way to his room. “Excuse me.”

Clutching his pillow close, Emilio spun around slowly and kept his gaze to the floor. It was pointless, however, because suddenly she was in front of him, yanking his chin up. He’d seen his mom angry but he didn’t like it when it was his fault. “Hi,” he whispered, having no choice but to meet those dark stern eyes. They screamed power and, yes, Emilio was in terrified awe of such power.

“Since when, Emilio, do we leave at night without telling anyone where we’re going?”

“Never.”

“Never. And yet-” she paused and looked to the door as it opened, Emilio’s heart stopping in the process. He’d been hoping he’d get to his room before his father came home. He didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face. The annoyance. The anger that might still be lingering there. “Good, you get to help me make a point.”

Emilio disagreed.

“Point about?” his father asked, pulling off his boots before actually glancing up and taking in the scene in front of him. “About?”

“Emilio thought that disappearing at night was a brilliant idea.”

Actually, on the contrary, he hadn’t. He just hadn’t had any other options. “Yeah, well,” his father snorted, walking over to them although Emilio noticed that he wasn’t actually looking at him, “Emilio doesn’t exactly have brilliant ideas of late.”

“Raul,” abuela said from the couch, almost sounding tired. “Mijo-”

“Am I wrong?”

His mother being his mother could easily tell that something was up, letting Emilio’s chin slip from her hand as she watched his father open the microwave before closing it and heating up his food. “What’s wrong?”

“Our son, though I shall defer him to you now and say _your_ son, is a disrespectful brat who seems to find himself superior to others, particularly his father-”

Emilio had never said that. Though…sometimes…yeah, maybe his tone gave off that impression. But he never believed it. Never once even thought it.

But he sure did speak it, didn’t he?

“-whom he seems to keep forgetting is the father in this relationship.” Popping open the microwave, his father practically tossed his plate onto the table with a thud and sat himself down with an even harder one before taking a moment to point his fork at them. Actually, at Emilio. “Grounded. For a month. When you’re home, phone goes in my drawer. You can have it only when you go to school. You cannot go out, you cannot have friends over-”

Right now, Emilio didn’t even have friends so it didn’t matter. He did have Max though, which was nice. Strange how fast things changed.

“You cannot go to friends. School to home, home to school. That’s it. Every time you decide to mouth off, I add a week.”

A week was practically cruelty. But honestly, Emilio didn’t even care anymore. Pops wanted his phone? Fine. It wasn’t like he was talking to anyone. He wanted him to stay home? Even better. It wasn’t like Emilio even wanted to see anyone.

“Simple, yeah?”

Emilio already knew he was about to earn himself an extra week as he yanked his phone out of his pocket and shut it off. “Easy peasy. I don’t want to see anyone, no one wants to see me. It won’t even feel like a punishment, Raul.” He tossed his phone onto the table with an echoing _bang_. “Enjoy it.”

Slamming his bedroom door as hard as he possibly could because he felt like it, he locked it and put his textbooks against it too. He heard voices and knew that those voices were talking about him but he didn’t care. He was too tired to care. Tossing his bag onto the floor, he rolled onto his bed with his pain pillow clutched tight to his chest and decided fuck it all. Emilio was going to damn well lie on his stomach today because he wanted to cry into a damn pillow.

And that was how he fell asleep.

When he awoke the next morning, Emilio decided that it was time to go to school. He didn’t want to sit in this house anymore than he wanted to go to school but at least at school, he could get some fresh air besides for just rolling on his bed. Plus, he was so far behind in his classes that he had to get his ass moving sometime.

Today would be that time.

Getting dressed and making sure his bag had what it needed, he grabbed his things and slipped on his shoes before pushing his books aside and going out his door. He could hear people in the kitchen but Emilio ignored the sounds and went to washup and use the bathroom before walking to the front door.

“You don’t want breakfast?”

Emilio turned to look at his mother who was making waffles for Alondra who was sitting beside Alicia and Linda who both had early classes today. “No, I’m good, thank you.”

“Well, let me grab your phon-”

“I don’t need it,” he said, already walking out the door without their usually bantering goodbyes. He was an asshole; he knew it. It wasn’t her fault that he was in a bad mood or that he and his father weren’t talking. It wasn’t and yet he was being a jerk.

Sigh.

By the time he reached school, Emilio was already exhausted and he had a feeling he shouldn’t have slept half the night on his chest.

Too late now.

On the bright side, at least he’d made sure to keep his arm to the side.

It was almost automatic how he shuffled through classes to break to more classes to ending up in chemistry class right before lunch. Automatic but like his batteries were dying and his wiring was failing. He talked to no one, made sure to avoid any areas that might have people he knew, and handed in his missing work class by class.

“I’ll have these graded for you by the end of class,” Mr. Cho said, accepting Emilio’s makeup work. “With all this work, you shouldn’t have trouble with the quiz today.”

Quiz?

Unwilling to show how nervous he was, Emilio gave a smile in response and slinked his way to his desk. Quiz. A quiz. He was fucked. He didn’t even know they had a quiz today. Pulling out his barely used planner, he flipped to the back where he shoved his syllabi and took out the chemistry calendar.

There was in fact a quiz today. Emilio had even circled it in red. When, he had no idea but he’d done it alright.

“Okay, put everything away and only leave a pencil or two on your desk,” Mr. Cho called as he stood at the first row of desks with a stack of papers in hand. You have thirty minutes and we’ll grade in class. Start once you get your quiz.”

Great, whoever graded his quiz got to see his failures.

By the time Mr. Cho called time, Emilio had only finished six problems.

Out of ten.

Even if he got them all right, he’d still get a D.

Frustration built up in his chest because he’d been going over this material for a while now. He should’ve been able to at least finish if not get them right. Hell, he doubted he even got the ones he’d answered correct.

“Switch with the person beside you.”

Emilio turned to switch with the girl beside him but she’d already switched with another girl which left him with his other side.

Devin.

“Of course I get the fag’s paper,” Devin snorted under his breath, yanking Emilio quiz as he frisbeed over his own. Devin had finished the entire quiz and had even circled his answers. He probably got them all right too. “Fuck, man, did you even try?” Devin laughed in the loudest voice in the world. “You didn’t even finish!”

His face burned. Everyone was staring at him; he could feel it even if he wasn’t seeing it. Emilio had tried. He’d tried hard. He’d tried his best even. Being mocked for his best hurt. “Just shut up and grade it,” he replied as Mr. Cho put up the answers on the overhead, having no vigor or anger whatsoever. He was drained of emotions right now. Someone could call him the nastiest of names right now and Emilio wouldn’t be able to find it within himself to fight back.

Devin had, as Emilio anticipated, gotten every answer right. It seemed there was a brain in that homophobic mind. Emilio, after getting his paper back, had not. In fact, he’d only gotten three of his six correct.

Three out of ten.

Emilio hadn’t even been able to pull a fifty percent for fuck’s sake.

“Bring your tests to the front and you’re all dismissed. See you guys tomorrow. Enjoy your lunch.” Sighing as he stuffed his pencils in his bag, Emilio slung it on his shoulder and walked over, placing his quiz on the pile. The person under him had gotten an eighty. At least that as a B. “Emilio, stay a moment.”

Fabulous. Emilio nodded and sat at a vacated desk up front until everyone was gone. He was probably just giving back his homework. “Yeah?”

Mr. Cho held out Emilio’s makeup work. “You, unlike the rest of the class, had the privilege of two extra weeks and, for certain assignments, were allowed to use the textbook. Why didn’t you use the book? Any student in your position would have.”

Taking his packets, Emilio glanced at the grades written, circled in red on each one. Nothing was higher than a sixty-eight. His highest was a fucking _D_. Emilio didn’t even want to mention his lowest. “I…” he began in a soft voice, his face burning more than before, “I actually did.”

His teacher’s tiny brows rose in surprise. “Well then you need to try a lot harder. We’re at the end of the semester, Emilio. You have a final in a couple weeks and unless you ace that test, there’s no way you’re passing this class this semester.”

“Do…maybe there’s some extra work-”

“You can’t pass the required work to do extra.”

No, no he couldn’t. Crinkling the papers in his hands from how hard he was holding them, Emilio nodded for whatever reason. He just nodded. It was the only thing he could think of. It wasn’t enough that his English teacher had handed back their essays today and he’d barely gotten a C on it when he’d worked so hard, no, he had to be failing chemistry. Literally failing.

Emilio really was as stupid as they came, wasn’t he?

“I’ll do better,” he whispered, ignoring the burn in his eyes as he trudged his way out. “I’ll do better.”

How could he do better when he’d thought that he’d finally understood it? Turned out, he hadn’t understood a thing. And that paper? He’d read the assigned book twice and had done three drafts to make sure his paper sounded good.

And yet he’d failed.

It felt like his feet had thousand pound weights on them as he dragged himself through the hall, still clutching the evidence of his failures. Do better? How could he do better when he’d already thought that he had been? Emilio just didn’t understand. He didn’t understand and he didn’t know what to do and he wished he had someone just to…to hug him maybe. Just a hug. Emilio really liked hugs. But he didn’t have anyone. His father hated him, his family were disappointed in him, his boyfriend didn’t want to talk to him, and his best friend had dumped him.

There was just Emilio all alone now.

“Deresse, what’s good?”

It was instinctual the way Emilio naturally searched out his boyfriend. And there he was, standing tall as ever, a smile on his face as he did that cool kid greeting where it was like the bro hug or something. Emilio didn’t know the guy but he looked like any other typical athlete. “Been hearing a rumor around.”

Marcus seemed surprised. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, man, Matt’s been saying you looked kind of upset today and Louis said he didn’t see you all up with your boy even though he came back to school today. Everyone’s saying you guys are done already.”

Lord, did this school love it’s gossip. But it wasn’t entirely wrong, was it?

“That what everyone’s saying?”

The other guy nodded as Emilio slouched on the lockers within earshot but behind Marcus as far as he could go. “Tanner laughed and said it was because you ended up disappointed over the weekend. Your boy’s hole is looser than you’d been hoping for. Realized that a lady was always gonna be better than a fag.”

Emilio’s jaw dropped. They dared, fucking dared, to talk about him like that? Seriously? How disgusting could a person be?

The words bothered him, but Marcus’ lack of reaction bothered him even more. It burned something hateful in his aching chest. “Yo, man, how many times do I gotta beat Tanner for talking that kind of shit? Jesus. That’s a stupid ass joke.”

Joke? It wasn’t a joke; it was a rumor filled with hate. Hate wasn’t a fucking joke, thank you.

“But you and Emilio are done or what? Everyone’s been wanting you back at the table. Half gay or not.”

“Demi.”

“Demi,” the boy corrected with a shrug. He obviously didn’t give a damn about people’s preferences about how to be called. “So?”

“Nah, we’re fine. Just been a bit busy. But I’ll definitely stop by today.”

“So you weren’t disappointed?”

Marcus laughed as if that kind of joke was the funniest thing in the world. As if it was even a joke. “Haven’t had the chance yet.”

Haven’t had the chance yet. As if he was expecting to be disappointed. As if Emilio’s body was just this thing for him to judge. As if talking about someone’s asshole was completely normal and okay. “Yeah and don’t expect to anytime soon,” Emilio snapped, striding up and jabbing his finger into Marcus’ chest. Marcus’ eyes went wide, a panic hidden under his surprise like he hadn’t wanted Emilio to hear the ‘bro talk.’

Fuck him and his bro talk.

“And you know what, _Deresse_? We’re not fine. In fact, we’re done.” Marcus’ eyes went even wider. “Go hang out with your bros and hos and earn back that status you love so much that you just tolerated someone making crude jokes about me so you could seem cool. And tell your mom I apologize for canceling dinner at your place.”

“Emilio,” Marcus started, grasping his arm so he couldn’t get away, “it was just-”

“A joke? Yeah, maybe to you. It’s not to me. And just so you know, if I had a phone right now, I would’ve broken up with you via text message because I’m sick of being the nice guy. I’m sick of everyone taking advantage of me and thinking I’m an idiot just because I’m a little nicer and a little more patient. We’re. Done.”

Yanking his arm from Marcus’ grasp, Emilio strode down the hall, not caring for the stares or Marcus calling him. At least the idiot knew not to follow.

Emilio didn’t want anyone seeing his tears once he found a quiet enough corner.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> As I mentioned on Proko's story, this one and Prokopenko's stories are going back to every other week for updates. Writing and updating three stories every week is not easy at allllll. The plan is to have all three finished by late summer at the most
> 
> Enjoy!

“I heard Marcus dumped the boyfriend.”

“I heard that he sucks in bed.”

“I heard it was because he was just plain bad at _sucking_.”

“I heard the problem was the entry point.”

I heard

I heard

I heard

I heard

_I heard_

He checked his watch again. Lunch still had twenty minutes. Twenty minutes left and Emilio had already caught enough whispers to last him a lifetime.

Within those whispers, Emilio was always the one at fault.

Even if he wanted to just go home, he couldn’t. Both parents were working and couldn’t sign him out and both his emergency contacts were in school right now. Maria at the beauty college all the way in Paramus and Alicia in St. Peter’s Uni in Jersey City.

He had no one.

Tears turned his eyes into oceans as he sat there outside at the very edge of the building, all the way in the back, on the hard cement. He was hiding and he was ashamed he was hiding but he didn’t know what else to do. He knew Marcus wasn’t spreading rumors because he wasn’t the type but the guy must’ve and once a rumor started…there was no stopping everything that grew from it.

“Jesus, you are hard to find.”

Emilio raised his head, blinking through his tears until the blurry face took form of a familiar one. “Are you here to make fun of me too?”

Max gave him a weird look. “Hell no, don’t be stupid.” Dropping onto the floor beside him, he brought his bag to the front and took out what seemed to be his lunch. “I came to eat with you. Duh.”

“It’s okay, you can make fun of my asshole. I’m immune to it now.”

“If I hear that one out of people’s mouths personally, I’ll punch them for you,” Max snorted, ripping his sandwich in half and giving Emilio a piece. “Eat.”

He hadn’t eaten since…last night? Yeah, the meatballs. With all the pressure and anxiety, Emilio hadn’t felt hunger. In fact, he was still sure that he wasn’t hungry. “I’m not hungry.”

“Yes, you are. Eat it.” Max took a big bite of his half and swallowed. “See? Just bite and eat.” He took another bite. “Bite. Eat.”

Bite. Eat. It sounded so simple.

He needed some simple right now.

Taking a bite though it turned his stomach, Emilio chewed and swallowed, his focus entirely on the half a sandwich. Bite. Eat. Bite. Eat.

Simple.

“See? You were hungry.” Max took out a bottle of Gatorade and produced a Styrofoam cup out of nowhere. Splitting the drink between them, he handed Emilio the cup. “Drink.”

He drank.

“Did you get in trouble for coming to my house?”

It was natural how Emilio rested his head against Max’s upper arm. He’d prefer a shoulder but Max was a little too tall for that. “Kinda. It was more they were worried and so they were mad in their worry. But…I’m grounded for a month. Could be an extra week too because I mouthed off.”

“That’s not too bad. So no phone and all that?” Emilio nodded against Max’s arm. “You and your dad still not talking?” He nodded once more. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

“You shouldn’t hang out with me. People will give you problems, you know.”

“Fuck those people,” Max replied, a dangerous edge to his words. “You, Emilio, are the most real person I’ve ever met. I’m hanging onto that. You’re stuck with me, man. None of those people are actually my friends. I don’t give a damn if they want to trash me because they’re trash themselves.”

“Ugh, if you weren’t straight, you’d so be my rebound right now.”

Max laughed as he stretched, his body taunt against Emilio who didn’t feel like moving. Opening a bag of M&M’s, he poured some into Emilio’s hand and said “So it’s true then? You and Marcus?”

“The only truth in those damn rumors.” Picking a single yellow M&M, Emilio popped it into his mouth while wondering what Joseph would do in this situation. Would he be like Max and stick with him, uncaring of people’s opinions? Or would he be like everyone else? Not hateful themselves but still keeping their distance to avoid association with the faggot? “But I dumped him, not the other way around.”

“I know you guys got in a fight yesterday but I didn’t think-”

“Instead of shutting down stupid mean jokes, he just rolled with it. You know how much that hurts? He’s supposed to be there for me, not let people talk about my ass.”

“Asshole,” Max corrected, pouring more Gatorade in Emilio’s cup. “And he should’ve broken whoever’s face it was the minute the words came out. No lie, though, Marcus has always been a bit of an ass. Not that I’m saying I’m a saint because I’m not but…he’s a nice dude but there’s a reason Lydia dumped him.”

“What sucks the most honestly is that I made friends with his friends and I like them all a lot and now we’re all stuck in this awkward position.”

Really awkward.

“You want me to beat up Marcus for you?” Emilio turned his head up, looking at Max with raised brows who in turn was looking at Emilio with his own raised brows. “Well, do you? I’ll do it.”

Having the first genuine smile on his face today, Emilio went back to staring out at the school grounds which was minimal. This was Jersey, not California with its ginormous fields. Who had space for that? “No but thanks. That’s really nice of you to offer getting your ass kicked.”

“Hey, hey,” Max laughed, popping a handful of M&M’s into his mouth, “I can fight, thank you. Asen taught me. Duh.”

It was stupid but it’d never occurred to Emilio that Mr. Sunshine could fight. Of course he could; he was in a freaking mob. If he didn’t know how, it’d be an embarrassment. “Duh. If you could, would you join the mob?”

“Fuck no. I’ve seen enough stress on Asen. Plus, I’d be an embarrassment. Trust me, my dad has told me so.”

They talked for the rest of lunch. Talked enough for Emilio to forget the stress and situation he now was stuck in. Situations, he should clarify because he was in multiple. But he only forgot up until they walked back to the front, ready to go in.

Then the world of high school reminded him that there was no running from the trash system.

“Kovachev! You going for the fag now? Heard he’s no fun because he’s waaay too lose for anything good.”

Both he and Max froze.

“Nah, man, he must’ve already been hitting it and that’s why its loose! Deresse must’ve found out and that’s why he dumped his ho ass.”

Emilio would not cry. He wouldn’t. He refused to cry in front of these people. He cast a quick glance at Max and it shocked him to see the fire in his eyes. The anger.

The temper.

Him and Joseph didn’t look anything alike unless you counted eye and hair color but suddenly, that fury made them twins. Joseph’s temper had always burned hotter than flames when it flared. Not as hot as he’d see Mr. Kavinsky’s go but hot.

Max’s flared hotter than the hottest magma to exist. Seething dangerous fury that _rivaled_ Mr. Kavinsky.

Spinning around, Max strode up to the two guys, one of which was Devin of course, and Emilio recognized the other guy as one of the ones who’d beaten him up with Tanner. Jabbing a finger in Devin’s chest, Max snarled “You wanna talk shit, you say it to my face, not behind it, you coward. Go ahead, say that shit again so I can beat the fuck out of your ass.”

There was no way Emilio could let Max get suspended for him. His conscience wouldn’t be able to handle the weight that’d bring. Walking over while wishing he wasn’t nervous just being near these bastards, he grasped Max’s arm and said “Let it go. Come on, Joe’s probably already wondering where we’re at.”

Small chance being that Joe was always late for class.

A muscle ticked in Max’s jaw but he let Emilio drag him away. Thank God because really, if Max did get in a fight, Emilio knew he’d feel stupid just standing and watching because his body was incapable of anything else right now.

“You better listen or else he won’t give-”

Devin never had the chance to finish the sentence. 

 

* * *

 

_Even if I didn’t count it as a debt, the least you could do is say thank you_

Raul had been staring at the message for probably a few hours up to this point. He’d read it, put his phone away when he got busy, pull it back out, read it again and again. He still had no idea what the fuck Ivo thought he was talking about.

Also having Ivo text him again was just weird. It brought feelings of nostalgia that Raul didn’t want to feel.

But what the hell was he talking about? He wanted him to thank him for their fiasco yesterday? For putting him in an even fouler mood than he’d already been in? What was there to be in debt for? Raul was so confused but he didn’t want to ask Ivo what he was talking about. It’d open lines of communication he didn’t want. Should he just type thanks for the hell of it? Try to figure it out later?

Ugh, this was complicated.

“Okay, that’s it, I’m asking,” Savelio said with a roll of her eyes as she slapped down her pen onto her desk. “What the hell is so interesting that you can’t seem to focus on our dead man of the day?”

Maybe she could help him figure this out. “Ivo texted me and said the least I could do is say ‘thank you’ even if he didn’t count it as a debt.” His partner was staring at him like he had grown four _pairs_ of horns. Not just four horns. “Exactly.” He held up a finger as his phone rang, “Hold your thought. Detective Vidal.”

“Hi, is this Raul Vidal? Emilio Vidal’s father?”

Oh boy. Hopefully Emilio was okay. Raul knew that physically, Emilio wasn’t ready for school, especially not walking back and forth but he also knew it was his fault Emilio felt the need to get out. “This is he.”

“Your son got into a fight, we need a guardian to come in.”

Yeah…not possible. “Ma’am, my son is physically incapable of getting into a fight right now. Literally.”

“He was involved in a fight with three other students. We need a guardian to come in to talk about consequences.”

Emilio couldn’t handle three people on a good day, not to do it on a bad one. “Ma’am, I’m pretty sure you’re mistaken-”

“Detective, I believe? Detective Vidal, we’re not mistaken. Please come in.”

“What the fuck?” he muttered, closing the phone and getting to his feet. “I’ll be back, I guess.”

“Emilio can’t even breathe right now, not to fight,” Savelio snorted, leaning back into her chair. Raul was jealous of the chair and often stole it too just to teach her a lesson for providing her own fancy chair. “What the hell?”

“Dunno, wish me luck.”

“Good luck!”

Parking in front of the school, Raul got out of the car and locked it as he walked over, frowning when he noticed a scuff on his boot. It was an older pair but he’d kept the leather beauties in good condition.

Now he had a scuff.

Ugh, this day.

Sighing as he walked into the building, he dragged himself to the office, walking in with a smile he wasn’t feeling. He was just drained today. Drained physically and mentally and supposedly, his son had the strength to get into a fight. How stupid were these people?

He didn’t even get the chance to say who he was before the lady he must’ve spoken on the phone with pointed him to the principal’s office. “Hola a ti también,” he muttered, because it didn’t kill a person to say hi. God. He knocked before sticking his head in, finding the small office cramped with four boys – including Emilio – and two parents. No principle yet though. “Hello,” he said, sticking his hand out to the other two parents. “Raul Vidal.”

The woman pursed her lips but shook his hand. “Britani Cranston. Devin’s mother.”

Devin…kid in red, maybe? “I’m Emilio’s father.” He stuck his hand to the man beside a boy in blue, who Raul in fact recognized from before. “Mr. Newman, I see your son’s homophobia hasn’t changed, huh?”

“Who said this has anything to do with that?” Devin’s mother snorted, her scary thin arms crossed. “My son isn’t a homophobe, thank you.”

Both Max and Emilio burst out laughing, though Emilio’s laughs seemed more pained. Which if you didn’t know he’d been injured before, you’d be surprised because he wasn’t the one with the giant bruise across his face. “Max, who’s coming for you?” Raul asked, leaning against the wall beside Emilio’s chair. He didn’t like that his son tensed because of him. Not at all. “Mom?”

“God, I hope not,” Max muttered, scratching his head. “If I’m lucky, it’ll be Nathan. If I’m blessed, it’s Asen. If I’m fucked, it’s my father. And if God truly hates me, it’s my mother. They’re the four on my card so it’s a toss up who they caught.”

He had no idea who Nathan was. Had to be one of the twenty brothers. “Principal?”

“Dunno.”

“So what happened? I know for a fact that Emilio cannot fight right now and yet I get called because he’s in trouble for fighting. Ironic, no?”

“He was, in fact, involved in a fight,” a man said in his bold annoying voice as he walked in. The principal, to be exact. He took a seat at his desk. “Him and this other-”

“Max,” he supplied.

“Him and Max started a fight with Devin and Gavin.”

Wow, they rhymed. Cute.

“Mr. Vidal, I’m going to be frank here,” the principal said, clasping his hands on his big fancy ass desk, “your son has been getting into quite the amount of trouble of late-”

“And I’m going to be frank with you,” Raul cut in. He wasn’t going to listen to this man spin bullshit and blame Emilio for other kids’ aggression. “My son has only been defending himself each and every time. And I bet that’s what happened this time too though I still can’t understand how in the world Emilio has the strength to fight when he has enough trouble as it is breathing.”

“Max threw the first punch,” Devin said, a challenging light in his eyes. His face was bruised like Max’s except far more purple and he winced every time he moved. “I didn’t do shit.”

“I threw the first fucking punch because of the fucking bullshit coming out of your mouth,” Max snapped, a fire in his eyes that seemed genuinely…dangerous. This kid had a temper somewhere in there. With his body taunt in his seat, he hissed “I told you that if you keep talking your shit, I’ll beat the fuck out of you. No one told you to keep talking, bitch.”

“What sorts of words?” the principal asked though Raul sure didn’t feel like he actually cared. “And it doesn’t matter what the words are, you cannot hit in my school.”

Clenching his jaw, Max looked to Emilio, almost like he was seeking permission. Raul knew then that this had been about defending Emilio and he had to admit, he didn’t know they were even that close. With a tired sigh and not meeting anyone’s eyes, Emilio said softly “Everyone’s been saying…sexually charged…insults about me today. Extremely sexually charged.”

The saying ‘seeing red’ applied right in this moment.

“And…after lunch, we were walking back and…Devin and Gavin started…saying some more stuff.”

“They’re not insults when they’re probably truths,” Gavin snorted with a smirk. It was a good thing Gavin’s father was between him and Max because Max looked ready to fight round two. Hell, if Raul wouldn’t go to prison for it, he’d jump in himself. “What’s the big deal? Don’t be so sensitive, man.”

Emilio said nothing and Raul knew that he’d officially crashed. Emilio didn’t just say nothing when people tried to drag him for being himself. He dragged them through the mud before they even had the chance to breathe. And yet here he was, almost looking as bad as he’d looked when Joseph had disappeared on him. Except this time, hadn’t Raul had a hand in it too?

It made him feel horrible.

“We’re just going to settle this with suspension-”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Raul said in disbelief. “One, my child and Max for that matter, should not be punished for self-defense-”

“Max threw the first punch-”

“And two, Emilio didn’t even _touch_ anyone. Why exactly does he deserve to get suspended?”

The principal looked at him like he was stupid. “He’s the main instigator, of course. Kids will be kids, Mr. Vidal, and he brought the joking upon himself. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I know how to properly section out where blame goes. I work a bit like a detective, in fact.”

Raul didn’t know what the fuck kind of detective this man thought he was. The bullshit kind who got the position through favors and family, probably. “Well, Mr. Dakon, I hate to break it to you, but as a New Jersey State Police homicide detective, I can tell you that you don’t know your head from you ass if you actually believe that my son being himself is cause for justified bullying. In fact, I’ve no doubt I can easily sue this school for prejudice and intolerance of LGBTQ teens. I happen to know quite a few _really_ good attorneys.”

Emilio was staring at him with wide eyes, both shocked and utterly in awe.

It made Raul feel _really really_ good.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [sambamart](http://www.sambamart.tumblr.com)
> 
> Enjoy my dears

The whole car ride home, Emilio couldn’t seem to find the way to both apologize and say thanks. He didn’t deserve this man as his dad. At all.

Max and Emilio had gotten off scot-free.

Devin and Gavin were suspended for a week.

Score for them. In fact, they’d even high fived once they walked out of Mr. Dakon’s office. The smile, however, slipped off Max’s face once he caught sight of his scary mom walking in. She looked fierce as fuck even with her age in a freaking business suit. But she was a mob wife so…fierce was a given. She had looked like she wanted to give him one hell of a speech but being that Max didn’t speak Bulgarian, she didn’t seem to want to do it in English.

He hoped Max was still alive.

When the car parked, he thought that he’d pick up his head and see their building. But when he looked, he found himself beside the Hudson. “Whenever I get stuck or need to think or cool down,” his father said, getting out of the car and gesturing for Emilio to follow suit, “I like to come to the edge of the city and just stand here.” Taking Emilio’s hand, he walked them over to the pier, taking them all the way to the end so they stood over the water. Resting his arms on the rail and looking across the river, his father murmured “Nice, huh? Peaceful.”

“Yeah,” Emilio whispered, resting his head against his father’s shoulder. He was tired. “It’s nice.”

“Mijo-”

“I’m sorry!” Emilio blurted out before he lost his nerve and before his father apologized first. Emilio was in the wrong, so he had to go first. But he knew how his father was and knew that the man would rather just apologize himself to get them over the hurdle. Emilio’s conscious wouldn’t allow it. Not this time. Holding his father’s arm tight with his good one and pressing his face into it, not wanting his dad to catch his tears, he whispered “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being trouble.”

“Aye, Emilio,” his father chuckled softly, looping him into a hug and pressing a kiss to his head. “Mi amor, you’re not even close to trouble. Maybe in mama’s family because, you know, they’re such goody-goods, but compared to the monster I was, trust me, you’re like a baby.” Emilio laughed, pained from both the ache in his chest and the tears trying to escape. “But you definitely got my attitude, I’ll say that much.”

“Sorry.”

“Apology accepted. I’m sorry too. I’d had a long day up to that point and I took it out on you. It was a little too much feelings for Raul Vidal to process and his brain goes into angry overdrive when he’s confused and frustrated.” He pressed another kiss. “I’m sorry, mijo. Te amo.”

Emilio breathed in his father’s oh so fatherly smell. “Love you too and it’s okay. I kept pushing, I know.”

“You’re still grounded though. Five weeks.”

Emilio laughed. Honestly, he really didn’t even care. “That’s fine, trust me.”

“Now that we’ve got the hard part out of the way, let’s talk about what’s going on at school.”

His heart dropped. The last thing he wanted to talk about was the mess of school. If it were up to Emilio, he wouldn’t even bother going for a while but his grades were suffering as it was. “Do we have to,” he murmured, still pressed into his father.

“Yes.”

Rubbing his face into his dad’s shirt which he felt bad about because now he had to go home and change, Emilio decided to start with the simplest part. “I dumped Marcus.”

“I…have to admit,” his father said, pulling them apart to eye Emilio carefully, “I’m shocked. Why?”

Taking a seat on the pier with his father dropping down beside him, Emilio detailed everything that’d happened from the fight yesterday to every rumor that was going around to how he and Max ended up in that fight. Well, Max ended up; Emilio had just stood there because, legit, moving was painful.

Max definitely could fight.

It was funny that Emilio was able to talk about people making fun of his asshole and yet he couldn’t bring himself to tell his father that he was failing a class and almost failing a couple others. “So, yeah. To think I almost made it through high school unscathed, huh?”

“Jesus fuck,” his father muttered, rubbing his chin. “I can’t believe…I mean…fuck.”

“Yeeup.” Emilio scratched at his nails. Jesus fuck was right. ‘Oh, it’s just a joke.’ ‘Don’t be so sensitive.’ Yeah, those jokers jokes weren’t funny. Or even jokes, thank you.

Fuck.

“Joker,” he said, completely forgetting to pass on the message from Mr. Kavinsky. Emilio had planned on being petty and he had been for a night but he had no intentions of continually being petty when they finally got over their problems for the time being. “Papi, joker. Guasón.”

Blinking at Emilio like he’d lost his mind, his father said slowly “Uh…okay? Guasón is joker but…”

“No, no, I mean that’s what I was supposed to tell you! I forgot and then I got petty and then I forgot again.” His father’s mouth twitched to a smile at ‘petty.’ “Mr. Kavinsky told me to tell you ‘Guasón’ and when I asked what’s that, Mr. Yulian said it’d brighten your day.”

“Why would he-” his father’s eyes went wide with a sort of realization as he yanked out his phone “Fuck, did he? Is that what he meant?”

“Fill me in, popman,” Emilio tried to laugh but he didn’t have enough feeling to. He was tired. “Why we talking jokers?”

“I went to Ivo for info, remember?”

“Well, yeah, the start of our fight- ohhhhh… Guasón is big fish, isn’t he?”

“I mean, I guess,” his father replied, dialing someone before saying “Run the name Guasón through every server. Start with gangs and work your way out.” He hung up without a goodbye and just from that action alone, Emilio knew it was Ms. Savelio. He pointed at Emilio with his phone, “Text or call. Quick. Choose one.”

Emilio had no idea what the hell he was choosing but he said “Call…?”

“Fuck,” his dad grumbled as he dialed another number and pressed the phone to his ear. “I was hoping you’d say text. Lord Kavinsky! How wonderful to hear your voice. I wanted to pass on my gratitude-” His father stopped speaking and was listening, rolling his eyes. “Mhmm. Listen, I have a favor to ask.”

It was never good to ask for favors from mobsters. Even Emilio knew that.

“Juan. That’s all. A tip if you hear something about him. Thank you.”

“You think he’ll listen?” Emilio asked as his father shut the phone and stuffed it in his pocket.

Shrugging as he sighed and leaned back against the railing of the pier, his father replied “I’ve no idea. He has no reason to grant me any favors. I’m lucky he felt bad when he saw you because he hadn’t planned on telling me anything.” Giving Emilio a smile, he added “You think if I take you with me and you look all pitiful, we can get more pity?”

“I ain’t going anywhere near that man, thank you very much. I prefer distance.” Emilio paused, his heartbeat picking up speed with the thought of what he was going to ask. He was too scared for the answer but he was also too curious not to try and find out whatever he could. “Um…papa? I…I asked Mr. Yulian about…about Joseph and he told me to ask you?”

The sadness that passed over his father’s face made him sick. Like the half a sandwich, Gatorade, and M&M’s were going to come up any second now. “Can…you give me a couple days on that one? There’re a few things I want to check out first, okay? Then I promise, I’ll tell you whatever I know.”

It was both reassuring and nerve wracking but Emilio nodded. There wasn’t much else he could do anyways. Just like with everything else in his life, he was just going to have to deal and hope for the best.

Too bad for him, the best generally wasn’t what he received.

The next morning found Emilio staring at Max standing on the stoop of his building, not paying attention to anything but the floor. “Aw, is this an escort?”

Max’s head flew up, a smile growing on that stupid handsome face. “Maybe. Is it creepy or a friend thing?”

Walking down the steps to Max’s side, Emilio punched him in the shoulder. “Both. Completely. But I’m a weird kinda guy so you’re automatically a winner, dear.”

“Eyyyy,” Max laughed as they made their way down the street. “I’m winning in this friend thing. Damn. Who knew it was this easy? Or maybe you just make it easy.” He scratched behind his ear, “You sure you’re up for school today? I’m behind you all the way but I just want you to be sure.”

Emilio wasn’t even listening, instead focused on Max’s hand. Had his nails been bitten so badly yesterday? The skin around them? It looked like the tips of his fingers had been through a grinder or something. They looked so ragged and scabbed over that it was kind of worrisome. “What happened to your fingers?”

“Hmm?” Max hummed, turning his head to look at Emilio before giving his fingers a quick disinterested glance. “Oh, nothing, it’s nothing, no worries. I just bite my nails sometimes.”

That was a dismissive answer if he’d ever heard one. Which he had. Plenty, actually, because he’d known Joseph for seven years. “To the point of bleeding?”

“Nervous habit.”

“Uhuh,” Emilio murmured, nodding slowly as he thought. “Did you get in trouble yesterday with your parents?” Max just shrugged, not meeting Emilio’s gaze. “With your mom?” It was subtle. _Extremely_ subtle but Max flinched. “She’s strict, huh? She looks it. But she raised eight boys, she’s gotta be a bit tough, you know?”

He watched how Max’s hand clenched for a quick minute before releasing. “Yeah,” he tried to laugh, “yeah. Right. Yeah.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything, but when you need to, I’m here for you. It’s a friend thing.” Max paused in his steps, a small breath somehow able to wrack his entire frame before he turned and smiled at Emilio. “When you’re ready or need to, okay?”

Emilio was pretty sure friends weren’t supposed to appreciate the way the other blushed. God, what was wrong with Emilio? Did he have to like every single guy who became his friend? Jesus, he needed to get a hold of himself. “Okay,” Max nodded, taking a deep breath, “thank you.”

“Thank _God_! Badass, I’ve been trying to catch you since yesterday!”

They both turned and watched Jax lope his way over, Sean on his heels. It made him both nervous and relieved to know they’d been looking for him. Like he’d told Max, he wanted them as his friends but they were Marcus’ first and he didn’t blame them if they wanted to keep that loyalty. He was an understanding guy. “Hey, guys.”

Jax gave Max a quick nod though Sean just rolled his eyes. “Alright, first, all that shit people are saying, it pisses me off-”

“If it pissed you off,” Max interrupted, a flare of his usual self popping up with a vigor, “then you’d fucking do something about it.”

Sean rolled his eyes again except this time, he was a lot angrier. “Oh please. What the hell do you want us to do? Beat up everyone, rich boy? Your temper ain’t the answer to everything. I thought the rich white folks are supposed to be civilized?”

“Guys,” Emilio sighed.

“You seriously can’t hold my parents’ money against me,” Max snorted, his tone taking on an irritated one that was somehow no less dangerous than his anger, as he crossed his arms. “How’s it my fault that my father worked his ass off to make money?”

“You saying mine doesn’t? He works three fucking jobs and I don’t see us living in a fancy mansion-”

“Guys,” Emilio groaned, needing to stop this before it got worse.

“We live in the damn projects while you live it up in a twenty room house all by your sad little lonesome,” Sean continued, looking angrier than Emilio had ever seen him. It wasn’t fair how he was judging Max but he kind of understood his pain. Emilio saw the stress of working hard on his parents every day. They were better off than Sean but it didn’t mean the exhaustion wasn’t there. “Your dad worked his ass off? What, by selling it in his good years before he became a wrinkly old fuck?”

Oh boy.

They all saw the punch before it was even thrown. Sean managed to dodge but Max must’ve known that he would because he aimed another right in his stomach, dropping Sean to the floor, a coughing mess. Jax looked ready to jump in and Emilio knew he had a big problem on his hands. “Jax-” He barely got his name out before Jax dropped his bag to the floor and tackled Max down onto the hard cement, punching him in the face before Max managed to toss him off.

Emilio had never felt so useless in his life. He couldn’t push, he couldn’t break them up, and no matter how loud he yelled, they’d never hear or listen over the furious rush of blood in their ears. Someone was going to end up seriously hurt unless someone did something and Emilio had no idea what to do. He needed someone now. Someone…authoritative or even scary. He’d take any damn adult, he just needed someone.

Of course, he hadn’t been expecting cops. When he’d said any adult…Emilio…hadn’t really been going for them.

But, he should’ve expected it.


End file.
